The project comes under the II Operational Programme of GEF that is conservation of biodiversity in coastal ecosystems. It concentrates on provision of alternate livelihoods for local communities residing in coastal ecosystem. The project also addresses biodiversity conservation issue especially conservation, protection and regeneration of mangrove species. It also stressed upon the need for sustainable harvest of marine biodiversity to address livelihood concerns of local fisher folk in the project site. All these issues form the core concerns of the GEF focal theme. Thus, the project addressed a need to balance biodiversity conservation with sustainable harvest of marine resources thereby benefiting the fisher folk community.

The current project had a component of sustainable livelihoods. The welfare of the fisher folk community?s was found to be dependent on the existing natural resources drawn from the marine ecosystem, particularly mangroves as these ecosystem provided natural habitat for fish and prawn species. The protection of these mangroves was inevitable for the local community. Thus, the project was designed in such a way that the threat on mangroves by various sections of the society is reduced thereby improving the livelihood of mangrove dependent communities. The awareness programmes and motivation camps conducted during the course of the project has resulted in community action towards conservation and regeneration of mangroves. The local community members have formed mangrove protection groups. The experiential learning by the communities resulted in value addition to the marine products. The measures taken to institutionalize the money management through revolving fund was found to be a viable strategy adapted by the project.

The project is entirely community driven. Community awareness and collective action was the main focus of this programme. The community members have been involved right from the stages of project planning, execution and successful implementation of project activities. SRAVANTI facilitated several meetings, gender sensitization programmes involving the local fisher folk. SHGs have been formed in all the project sites . These SHGs conduct regular weekly meetings on various community developmental aspects. Both men and women are actively participating in these meetings. Several issues such as mangrove protection & regeneration, health and environment were discussed during these meetings. The SHGs independently take decisions with respect to the selling of value added seafoods, distribution of revolving fund, and other related activities.

The allotment of land for the regeneration of mangroves from the revenue department is a big achievement by the participant communities. In fact several outside entrepreneurs have tried to purchase this specified land for shrimp farming. But due to the continuous efforts by the fisher folk community with the district revenue officials, the land has been sanctioned for mangrove regeneration. Now the members of the community feel the ownership for their efforts imitated to conserve mangrove ecosystem.