Mexico Seawater Agroforestry

Intercropping of mangrove and Salicornia in Eritrea

The project's objective is to re-vegetate and afforest 3,000 hectares of barren coastal desert and inter-tidal zones in the state of Sonora, Mexico. This land adjoins existing saltwater shrimp farms, which are currently releasing their untreated effluents into the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez). The project intends to use this waste water to irrigate plantations of halophytic (salt-loving) plants, such as mangrove trees (Avicennia marina), intercropped with Salicornia bigelovii, a halophytic oil seed crop, and several species of Atriplex to increase vegetative biodiversity. Mangrove trees will be utilized for carbon sequestration and will also provide wood/animal fodder and production of honey.

Intercropping with Salicornia bigelovii will increase carbon sequestration and the value of harvestable products. The project will employ two distinct planting techniques. The first consists of traditional wetland management techniques, planting mangrove trees within the inter-tidal zones of the coast and fresh waterways. The second, which will be predominant in the project, is a novel method of managed forestry in non-productive desert lands adjoining the inter-tidal zones, using seawater for irrigation.

The project is expected to sequester around 0.35 Mt CO2e by 2012 and around 0.72 Mt CO2e by 2017. It will build soil in the coastal desert plains and reduce land erosion by wind and water. The project is partnering with a commercial shrimp farm to treat its waste water. It provides a natural filtration process, since after irrigating the mangrove forest and thereby providing the trees with nutrients, the water seeps into the sand where it is slowly cleansed before returning to the sea. The project therefore achieves additional environmental benefits by relieving the Gulf of the pollution. The project will also benefit populations through the creation of 200 well-paying jobs during the development period. These people are expected to transition into the cooperatives once the forest is planted so as to ensure the management of the new mangrove forests. Furthermore, access to lumber and animal fodder will be improved and the project will also generate other non-timber forest products such as honey, other co-products such as salt, and a phytoplankton used to produce beta-carotene.

The government of the State of Sonora is very supportive as the project will help curb the devastating pollution of the Sea of Cortez from the exploding shrimp farm industry. The Seawater Foundation is developing the project in collaboration with the University of Sonora. The Seawater Foundation has a track record conducting similar activities in Eritrea. It would serve as intermediary. The Seawater Foundation will partner with an existing, or several existing shrimp farms. The shrimp farm operator is not currently expected to finance the project other than through providing the waste water. The project is in negotiations with several other potential national and international financers to secure its financing.

In case of successful implementation, this project has high replication potential along the coastline of India, Mexico and elsewhere, where mangroves have been degraded.

Click here to view the World Bank BioCarbon Fund website.