In celebration of World Earth Day 2022, Apple published a comprehensive detail of one of its efforts to fight climate change. Apple has awarded a grant to Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF) to explore ways of protecting mangroves in India.
Apple Awards Grant to Explore Mangrove Protection in India
Through Apple’s grant, AERF will explore the Alibaug in the Raigad district, situated just 60 miles south of Mumbai. The small coastal town has 20,000 people, unpaved roads, palm trees, and open-air markets. More importantly, there are 21,000 hectares of rich mangroves located in the region.
Mangrove forests are useful for protecting against rising tides, monsoons, hurricanes and other natural calamities brought about by climate change. In addition, mangrove trees can also absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Despite these facts, legal farming, fishing, and logging still threaten these mangroves. So, Apple partnered with AERF to protect and conserve them.
AERF Plans to Develop Alternative Industries
Through Apple’s grant, AERF will explore the area with a plan to develop alternative, sustainable industries. The alternative industries need to cultivate and benefit from the biodiversity and resilience of the mangrove ecosystems.
Additionally, AERF will apply learnings from Conservation International’s pilot Blue Carbon Project, launched in Colombia in 2018. Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, explained the importance of the initiative.
The fight against climate change is a fight for the communities around the world whose lives and livelihoods are most threatened by the crisis, and that’s where we’ve focused our work — from Colombia to Kenya to the Philippines. Our new partnership in India continues this momentum, helping a community benefit economically from the restoration of the mangrove forests that protect against the worst impacts of climate change.
Apple provided profiles of the villagers who live in the Alibaug region. It also explained how AERF is drawing knowledge and experience from the villagers.
Archana Godbole, director of the AERF believed that the future looks promising in humanity’s fight against climate change. And its partnership with Apple provided a great opportunity for climate change work.
To collaborate with Apple and Conservation International is a great opportunity to explore how mangrove conservation and community benefits can go hand in hand. Though mangrove conservation issues are diverse and different in each place, here in our project area, opportunities are also many. Training our young, enthusiastic team as well as local communities for blue carbon will surely help us travel a long way to achieve mangrove conservation in this vibrant coastal area along the Arabian Sea.
Apple’s Various Climate Change Efforts
Apple’s latest climate change efforts follow last year’s support for the Carbon Finance Lab with Conservation International. Apple provided funding for research and pilot studies on nature-based carbon sinks in China. It donated to World Wildlife Fund for every Apple Pay purchase of Apple products during Earth Week.