Traditionally the palm’s leaves are harvested for roofing material and therefore represents economic values. But the benefits of the sap is much more significant. Unfortunately, the old practice of tapping the sap as a sweetener lost most of its market in competition with less healthy white sugar, in spite of the fact that thousands of hectares of nypa palm forests represents a large potential in sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor in coastal areas.

The value of nypa sap production was documented by Worldview’s pilot project completed in 2014. Ten villages were engaged in nypa sap tapping for production of healthy sweetener syrup in a cottage industry facility. The project provided valuable income to the tappers and production staff, with production of 1000 liter readymade syrup of high quality packed in handy 300 ml bottles as a result. The flower branch is cut for collection of nypa sap. Each tree yields approximately one liter per…

Nypa is the oldest known palm in the world with a 70 million year’s history. It is a mangrove palm with trunk growing horizontal in the ground with the branches and leaves above. The fact that its trunk is protected in the ground makes it a perfect tree for survival in the climate change age. Moreover, its sap is 50% sweeter than the sap of sugar cane, containing healthy inverted sugar, high content of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and other health benefit.

It is imperative for the project to include livelihood creation as a vital part of the combined restoration efforts. The ongoing mangrove research project has identified several options in adapting food production with new type of saline resistant plants and methods in harvesting the nypa palm and other species with potential to withstand changes in sea level rise and other climate change problems.

In order to identify practical cost effective options for protective measures while there is still time, Based on two years research on mangrove restoration, it has been concluded that establishment of mangrove climate parks is the most practical step forward in generating capacity and experience towards comprehensive restoration. Read more of this text here: https://wvltv.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/ayeyarwady-region-the-most-vulnerable-area-in-myanmar/

This proposal is a follow of the research to compensate for the loss of valuable life saving and sustainable environmental values of mangrove forests. It meets the urgent needs of immediate action as called for by the latest United Nations Climate Panel Report. It meets both the need for mitigation of large amounts of CO2, as well as adaptation to Climate Change in vulnerable coastal areas, protecting lives and properties from expected extreme weather patterns.

Reasons for the massive destruction was that 80% of the traditional mangrove forest on the coastal belts and river banks, are due to prawn and fish farming, rice farming, deforestation for charcoal production and cooking fuel, partly driven by rampant poverty in the area with no alternative livelihood for the poor who are struggling to survive on meagre incomes.

With no abatement for destructions, as of cyclone Nargis, with extreme weather and sea level rise due to climate change, it could substantially overshadow the damage of Nargis in 2008 for the whole region. For each degree of higher ocean temperature, the velocity of cyclones is estimated to increase by 25%. ...........

On 2 May 2008 cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar, crossing the south of the country during two days and devastated Ayeyarwady Delta region. According to official figures, 84,500 people were killed and 58,800 missing. A total of 37 townships were significantly affected by the cyclone. The UN estimated that as many as 2.4 million people were affected. Read more of this text here: https://wvltv.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/ayeyarwady-region-the-most-vulnerable-area-in-myanmar/

This region with its 6.6 million people is the most exposed a rea in Myanmar to threats of climate change. This is a flat low lying delta facing the Bay of Bengal, with myriads of waterways and rivers penetrating far into the country. Read more of this text here: https://wvltv.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/ayeyarwady-region-the-most-vulnerable-area-in-myanmar/ ADOPT A MANGROVE www.thorheyerdahlclimatepark.org/product/mangrove-tree/