Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to Introduce India's First Mangrove Restoration Standards

Key facts

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is introducing the country's first set of guidelines for the restoration of mangrove ecosystems titled ‘Restoration of Mangrove Ecosystem — Guidelines’.
• The guidelines are designed to streamline biodiversity restoration efforts, particularly in the Sundarbans.
• The BIS has agreed to incorporate the use of cloth or biodegradable bags instead of polythene bags for seeding plantation.
• The standards suggest planting fruit-bearing trees on the landward side of mangrove plantations to create economic incentives and livelihoods for local communities.
• All Indian standards issued by the BIS are voluntary in nature.
• There are plans to approach the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the state forest departments of West Bengal, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh to make the guidelines binding through state-specific manuals.