LocationsBy Samuel Bathula / UNDP India
How a Coastal Village in Andhra Pradesh is Rebuilding Its Mangrove Defence
July 21, 2026
Mangroves of Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary
Samuel Bathula / UNDP India
A Village Remembers
Along Andhra Pradesh's Krishna coast, life in Sanghameswaram village has always been shaped by the sea. Located in the Diviseema region, generations have depended on the delta's waters and, quietly, on the mangroves that protect its shores.
For Smt Viswanathapalli Lakshmi, now 68, that understanding was shaped by the 1977 Diviseema cyclone. She remembers how the storm changed both the landscape and the way her community viewed the mangroves that once lined the coast.
Smt Viswanathapalli Lakshmi in Sanghameswaram village, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
Samuel Bathula / UNDP India
"The cyclone submerged around 31 villages in Diviseema. Thousands of lives and livelihoods were lost as seawater rushed inland without any natural barrier. Since that year, wherever the forests have flourished, the storms have lost their teeth. Mangroves are no longer seen merely as trees, but as guardians." — Smt V. Lakshmi, 68, Resident of Sanghameswaram Village
Her memory of the 1977 Super Cyclone points to a painful truth: without a natural buffer, the tidal surge reached far further inland than it might have otherwise. In the decades since, the mangroves that once stood between Sanghameswaram and the sea thinned and disappeared, leaving silted, salt-scoured flats where a living shield once stood. Today, that story is slowly being rewritten, one root at a time.
Bringing the Tide Back
For coastal communities like Sanghameswaram, mangroves do far more than support biodiversity. They help reduce coastal erosion, soften the impact of storm surges, improve fish breeding habitats and strengthen livelihoods that depend on healthy coastal ecosystems.
Through the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project, led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with support from the Green Climate Fund, UNDP India and Environment and Forest Department in Andhra Pradesh, degraded mangrove habitats are being restored as a natural line of defence along the coast.
So far, 694 hectares of degraded mudflats, once suitable for mangrove growth, have been restored within Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary using satellite imagery and hydrological assessments to identify the most suitable sites.
By reopening narrow tidal channels, locally known as "fish-bone" channels, the project has restored natural tidal flows, creating the conditions mangroves need to regenerate.
Restored by the Community
This restoration has been a joint effort - forest officials, ecologists, and local fishing communities working side by side, planting native mangrove propagules matched to the site's salinity and tides. In the process, many in the community have gone from simply using these waters to actively protecting them, reviving a shared tradition of caring for the coastline that sustains their livelihoods.
Community members participate in mangrove restoration under the GCF ECRICC Project
Samuel Bathula / UNDP India
"For us, mangroves are not just trees — they are living sources of life. They provide breeding grounds for crabs, shrimp and countless fish species that sustain our livelihoods. Every healthy mangrove means more fish in our waters, better incomes for our families, and greater security for our children."
Shaik Nagul Meera, Forest Helper, Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Science Behind the Shield
The restoration follows site-specific protocols developed with the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, combining scientific research with local knowledge to restore degraded mangrove ecosystems.
Dr. P. V. Chalapathi Rao, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh, whose visionary leadership enabled site-specific restoration protocols for degraded mangroves in AP.
Samuel Bathula / UNDP India
"Successful mangrove restoration requires more than simply planting trees. It demands scientifically informed, site-specific restoration protocols that address the unique ecological conditions and drivers of degradation at each location. By restoring and maintaining mangroves through evidence-based approaches, we are not merely rebuilding forests — we are strengthening coastal resilience, safeguarding biodiversity, securing livelihoods, and investing in a more sustainable future for generations to come." — Dr. P. V. Chalapathi Rao, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh
A Legacy for Future Generations
As mangroves return, they are changing more than the landscape. Increasingly, fishing families see these forests as a shared inheritance - one that protects their homes, supports their livelihoods and strengthens their resilience to future climate risks.
For Smt V. Lakshmi, the returning mangroves are more than a sign of ecological recovery. They offer hope that future generations will be better protected than those who lived through the cyclone nearly five decades ago.
About ECRICC: The Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project is led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with support from the Green Climate Fund, UNDP India and Environment and Forest Department in Andhra Pradesh. The project supports nature-based solutions to protect and restore India's coastlines, and to help coastal communities adapt to the realities of climate change.