Mumbai: Amazon on Friday announced a US$1.2 million (Rs 10.47 crore) investment to restore the mangrove forests and mudflats that are critical foraging areas for Mumbai’s iconic flamingo population. Working with Hasten Regeneration, a social enterprise and developer of ecosystem restoration projects, the investment will fund the clean-up along the settlements on the Thane creek in Mumbai and plant mangroves in the nearby state of Gujarat. Amazon is supporting the initiative through its $100 million Right Now Climate Fund, which promotes climate resilience, biodiversity, and nature conservation projects in communities where it operates.
“The project will tackle plastic pollution by installing a trash boom that blocks plastic waste from entering the Mumbai basin, where more than 1 million migratory birds – among them flamingos and over 180 other species – stop to feed each season. The goal is to remove at least 150 tons of plastic waste and replant the flamingo feeding grounds, including the stopover sites on the way to the nesting areas in neighbouring Gujarat province. The project also aims to improve the quality of life for the slum settlement on the bank of the Thane creek, who will benefit from a cleaner environment,” said a release by the multinational e-commerce major that also deals in cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
Mangroves can sequester and store up to 10 times more carbon per hectare than mature tropical forests, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mangrove planting work will also generate employment and opportunities for the rural community in Gujarat, especially female-led planting companies. “The preservation of Mumbai’s flamingo habitat is paramount, not only for the biodiversity it sustains, but also for the communities whose livelihoods depend on it,” said Abhinav Singh, vice president of operations, Amazon India. “By joining forces with Hasten Regeneration on this landmark project, we aim to safeguard Mumbai’s flamingo habitat for future generations,” he added.
“This collaborative effort between Amazon and Hasten Regeneration is a game changer for the Mumbai basin. The project cleans up the polluted banks of the Thane creek, which is one of the most polluted waterways in the world. We are also creating a positive social impact, employing women to replant mangroves in critical stop-over sites for the precious flamingos on the way to their nesting grounds,” said Sheeba Sen, co-founder of Hasten Regeneration’s India branch and director of Alaap.
“This initiative, aligned with the govt’s goals under the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes, will significantly contribute to protecting the habitat of flamingos and other migratory birds by planting 375,000 mangrove shrubs and trees.