Awareness on coastal ecosystem, human wellbeing held

Visakhapatnam: Students and teachers of Kendriya Vidyalaya, NAD, took part in the student-scientist connect programme 'Prakriti,' an initiative of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and Forest Research Centre for Coastal Ecosystem (FRC-CE) that aims at building awareness about conserving environment, coastal ecosystem and human wellbeing. Scientist, in-charge of FRCCE T Srinivas apprised students about the different coastal ecosystems like the mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, estuaries, lagoons and backwaters and their significance in providing various ecosystem services for humans such as sequestering carbon, cycling nutrients and elements, providing nurseries and fishing grounds for commercial fisheries and preventing coastal erosion.

Further, he explained the impact of climate change on biodiversity of coastal ecosystems to the students. He added that mangroves play a vital role in maintaining coastal ecology, sustaining and securing coastal communities. A technician of FRCCE T Anusha gave a brief introduction of mangroves and their ecological role along with threats and conservative steps taken by the FRCCE.

Digital presentation regarding scenic beauty of coastal ecosystems and threats to the ecosystems due to human interference were presented to students. KV, NAD, Principal of the school Adisesha Sarma, FRCCE team M Ganesh, and CH Srinivas, among others, were present in the recently concluded awareness programme.