MISHTI Scheme
The MISHTI Scheme, which stands for "Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes," is an Indian government program aimed at promoting and conserving mangrove ecosystems across the country's coastal regions and saltpan lands.
Overview and Objectives
- Announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 and officially launched on World Environment Day (June 5, 2023), MISHTI's core objective is to restore and enhance the sustainability of coastal habitats while creating alternative livelihood opportunities for local communities.
- The scheme addresses climate change by utilizing mangroves' high carbon sequestration potential and role as natural bio-shields against coastal erosion and natural disasters like storms and tsunamis. India joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate at COP27 in 2022, and the MISHTI program helps fulfill those commitments.
Key Features and Implementation
- Scope: The scheme is planned for a five-year period (2023-2028) and aims to cover approximately 540 sq km across nine coastal States and four Union Territories.
- Funding: The program operates on a "convergence" model, primarily funded by existing schemes like the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA - covering about 70% of the cost) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS - covering about 30%).
- Implementation: The responsibility for implementation rests with the respective State Forest Departments, involving core activities like afforestation, restoration, and gap plantation.
- Community Involvement: A crucial component is the active involvement of local communities and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in activities like nursery raising, plantation, monitoring, and ecotourism promotion, which generates tangible incomes and livelihoods.
Key Developments and Status (Late 2024 - Late 2025)
- Area Covered: As of August 2025, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) reported to Parliament that a total of 26,396.34 hectares of degraded mangrove areas have been taken up for restoration and plantation efforts during the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25 through convergence with various schemes.
- Funding and Implementation: The scheme is operating using convergence funding, primarily from the National and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and MGNREGS.
- State Performance Disparity: A notable point of discussion is the significant difference in implementation across states.
- Gujarat Leads: Gujarat has been the top performer, accounting for approximately 19,220 hectares (around 85%) of the total area covered under the scheme within the first two years.
- West Bengal Lags: In contrast, West Bengal, which has the largest existing mangrove cover in the country (about 42%), has only acquired around 10 hectares of land under the initiative. This disparity has led to calls for improved land acquisition and implementation strategies in states with high potential.
- Focus on Livelihoods and Ecotourism: The scheme continues to emphasize creating tangible incomes for local communities. Recent fund releases to states like Kerala and Odisha specifically include allocations for developing mangrove-based ecotourism, backyard duckery, and other livelihood support activities involving Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
- Documentation Requirements: The Central Government requires states to submit detailed documentation, including utilization certificates, geo-tagged photographs, and KML files, to receive further funding releases, ensuring rigorous monitoring of the project's physical and financial progress.
Download Pdf
Get in Touch
