National Workshop on Mangrove Initiative (MISHTI) held at Lemon Tree Premier, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
A two-day National Workshop on Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) was successfully organized on 8th January 2026 at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, with the participation of senior officials, scientists, experts, and representatives from coastal States and Union Territories.
The workshop was organized jointly by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB) and National CAMPA, with the objective of reviewing the progress of MISHTI, sharing best practices, and charting future strategies for mangrove restoration, shoreline protection, climate resilience, and livelihood generation.
The programme commenced with lighting of the lamp and invocation, followed by a welcome address by Dr. P. V. Chalapathi Rao, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh. Addresses were delivered by Sri Anand Mohan, IFS, Chief Executive Officer, National CAMPA, highlighting the national importance of mangroves in coastal protection, carbon sequestration and sustainable livelihoods.
Senior officers from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Puducherry made detailed presentations on the status of mangroves, progress achieved under MISHTI, and future proposals.
Two technical sessions will be held focusing on:
Mangrove restoration and shoreline management
Ecosystem services, community-led conservation, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and carbon credit opportunities
Renowned experts from institutions such as MSSRF, NCSCM, NCCR, Annamalai University, CIFOR-ICRAF, and leading conservation organizations shared insights, research findings, and successful field experiences.
The Day-1 of the workshop will conclude this evening with key deliberations, release of publications, and an address by the Chief Guest, Sri Konidala Pawan Kalyan, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister for Environment, Forest, Science & Technology, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The workshop marked an important step towards strengthening national collaboration under MISHTI and reaffirmed Andhra Pradesh’s leadership in mangrove conservation and coastal ecosystem restoration.
