Techno Giant Apple Partners With Local NGO To Protect, Conserve Mangroves Of Maharashtra

Apple stated on Thursday, April 21, that it has teamed with the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF), a Pune-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), to safeguard a 2,400-hectare mangrove environment in Maharashtra's Raigad region.

The corporation has given an undisclosed gift to a biodiversity protection NGO, which will aid the latter in its work with local populations in the vicinity of the mangrove forest.

AERF will establish conservation agreements with members of the local community and provide support to help conserve the environment due to the effort. It will also collaborate with Conservation International to verify the mangrove forest's climatic advantages and capture carbon benefits within the region.

Project To Eliminate CO2

The project is funded by Apple's $200 million restoration fund, announced in April 2021. The fund will invest in forestry initiatives worldwide to eliminate one million metric tonnes of CO2 from the environment. The target is part of the company's overarching objective of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030.

Last year, Apple stated that 75 per cent of carbon emissions would be 'directly' removed from its supply chain, with the remaining 25 per cent being accounted for by the Restore Fund.

At the fund's introduction, Apple also noted that its manufacturing partners, including those who make its iPhones in India, had already committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, as reported by Economic Times.

What Did Apple Officials State?

According to Archana Godbole, head of AERF, the effort will assist the organisation's volunteers and local people realise the value of 'blue carbon,' which is the carbon absorbed by Earth's seas and coastal ecosystems.

Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, made crucial statements about the restoration and conservation project.

She said, "The fight against climate change is a fight for the communities around the world whose lives and livelihoods are most threatened by the crisis, and that's where we've focused our work - from Colombia to Kenya to the Philippines. Our new partnership in India continues this momentum, helping a community benefit economically from the restoration of the mangrove forests that protect against the worst impacts of climate change," quoted Deccan Herald.

According to Jackson, the project will also help local coastal communities reap economic benefits from the mangrove ecosystem and reinforce the benefits of carbon absorption within this mangrove belt.

Benefits Of Mangrove Belt

Protecting mangrove forests has several advantages, not only in terms of the environment but also in the economy of the fishers and other populations residing in such areas.

Mangroves are renowned as natural bio shields, reducing damage to coastal regions during tsunamis and cyclones, rising in India in recent years. They also aid in the prevention of sand erosion. Mangrove forests also serve as a significant carbon sink, assisting in slowing climate change.

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