A new technology for ecological restoration (Bio-restoration) was developed by Indian scientists.
It is helping in revival of mangroves degraded due to rising sea levels, climate change and human intrusion in the Sunderbans, West Bengal.
The Sundarbans is a protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ecological restorationmeans reviving native ecosystem in degraded areas while maintaining diversity of original flora and fauna through regeneration but bringing down the regeneration period to 4 to 5 years.
Restoration process begins with stabilising entire site by planting native salt tolerant grasses. It involves the use of growth-promoting bacteria.
The restoration project was initiated with help from the Department of Biotechnology in 2013.