Our Work in Andhra Pradesh
We have been working across the state on environmental and water conservation, improved livelihoods, and inclusion for marginal farmers. Here’s how.
Restoration of Mangrove Plantations in Coastal Areas
The unique mangrove ecosystem of coastal Andhra Pradesh has felt the impact of the area’s rapidly growing population. Urban development and subsequent increases in pollution, as well as over-harvesting of wood in the coastal forests and the use of dynamite in fishing have severely degraded large swathes of the mangrove belts. In some places, the unchecked destruction or extraction of mangroves has made dozens of acres of forest disappear.
Mangrove forests provide diverse fishing grounds, protect against coastal erosion, mitigate the impact of storm surges and flooding, and can store four times more carbon than other tropical forests, making them a key partner in climate change mitigation. Their loss is devastating for the environment, the biodiversity of the area, and the people who depend on this ecosystem for their livelihoods.
Swaniti Initiative is working hard to conserve and restore the mangrove wetlands of coastal Andhra Pradesh. In collaboration with the Department of Rural Development and the MS Swaminathan Foundation, our aim is to develop and implement concerted actions towards this end in six districts spanning the coastline.
Andhra Pradesh Social Development Project
The impacts of climate change are felt most severely by the poorest communities, those who are living in India’s tribal areas which have limited options for livelihoods and a higher dependence on natural resources. They are facing climate-related food and water insecurity as extreme and erratic weather threatens their homes, jobs, and lives.
As such, it is important that development and social protection programmes targeting these communities be underpinned with measures for adapting to and mitigating climate change.
Swaniti Initiative is helping take on these pressing issues facing the most marginalized people of Andhra Pradesh. We are working with the Department of Rural Development to strengthen core social protection programs, ensuring that effective and efficient implementation bridges last-mile gaps often preventing people from access.
These programs are focused on four key areas: livelihood generation, inclusion of marginal farmers, water conservation, and skills development.
