Mending the gap - Landscape Conservation for the island of Aliabet

Coastal management is one of the most indeterminate parts of urban planning for a resilient future. Ignoring minor miscalculation can result in to devastating consequences. The overlooked social cost of the Sardar Sarovar Dam Dam (Gross reservoir capacity of 0.95 M.ha.m) has left the island of Aliabet from an ecologically rich & diverse habitat of the bountiful wetland fauna to become a saline wasteland. Aliabet from the estuary of the river Narmada is infamous for getting easily submerged during the High-high tides (6m) & the seasonal floods. Presently this island has formed connections with the mainland due to the depositions of the sea-sediments. The construction of the Dam has lowered the river’s velocity to wash the island during ebb. The absence of this vital process required for the formation of the brackish water has further declined the growth of the local grass “Aal” & the mangroves. The proposal is to reinstate the lost ecology essential in making Aliabet habitable again. The strategy involves strengthening of the coastal edge using the polyhaline mangrove species to nurture lost biodiversity and filter sediments at both the ends. Secondly by making the earthen dams at strategic location to conserve water of different salinity promoting growth of diverse vegetation & biodiversity. The last step of the proposal is to encourage the native animal-herding community to cultivate fodder for their livestock, this gives the community a sense of ownership and responsibility towards the nourishment of the island of Aliabet.