Mangrove Restoration by an Operating Company in the Niger Delta

摘要

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has embarked on a largescalernmangrove protection and restoration initiative in itsrnoperations in the Niger Delta mangrove swamps in Nigeria.rnSeveral restoration techniques are applied – naturalrnrecolonization, transplanting from local forests and plantingrncollected propagules and seeds. Developing restorationrnprotocols or procedures and testing these protocols on pilotrnscale precedes each technique. Establishing these restorationrnprotocols assures success when applying these to large-scalernrestoration. The establishment of restoration procedures forrnfour species of mangrove (Rhizophora racemosa, Rhizophorarnmangle, Laguncularia racemosa and Avicenia germinans)rnstarted in July 1998 and was completed in April 2001. CNL isrnproceeding to carry out mangrove restoration starting in 2001.rnAbout 73 Ha is targeted. This involves applying hydrologicrnrestoration followed by natural recolonization techniques inrnabout 66 Ha, transplanting about 4 Ha of salvaged mangrovernseedlings (30 – 60 cm) and salvaged saplings (1 m and 2 m)rnfrom a proposed development site and planting another 4 Harnby collecting seeds and propagules. Sites are identified usingrnhyperspectral imageries acquired over CNL’s onshore acreage,rnand targeted sites are along Abiteye – Escravos pipeline Rightof-rnWay (ROW), Dibi and Olero Creek field, among others inrnCNL’s Oil Mining Lease (OML) -49.rnThe services of ChevronTexaco Energy Research andrnTechnology Company (ERTC), Lewis Environmental Servicesrn(LES) and Environmental Resources Manager Limitedrn(ERML) are employed to establish the procedures and carryrnout the program. The program collaborates with Nigerian NonrnGovernmental Organizations, including the NigerianrnConservation Foundation (NCF), and the NigerianrnEnvironmental Society (NES). Local community membersrnare involved in the program and given some ownership.rnDirect and indirect protection of mangrove resources is alsorncarried out at one development site by the establishment of arnbuffer strip of mangrove along the riverbank to replace thernutilization of bulkheads to control erosion.rnThis paper discusses the procedures established and thernlarge-scale restoration program embarked upon.