#EyeOnClimate // @kcmouli: . “Seema Adgaonkar, a Range Forest Officer with the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit (MMCU) until recently, stands next to mangrove saplings planted by her team. Her primary role included guarding the vital coastal ecosystem that borders Mumbai and mangrove plantation. . The 66 square km cover of mangroves lining the city's coast and estuaries at different locations act as a natural buffer against storm and flood surges. #Mangroves absorb impact and break the flow of water. And their absence leaves the land vulnerable to flooding. . Erratic rainfall and sea-level rise due to climate change can increase the frequency of coastal flooding in the densely populated city. Protecting the existing mangrove cover and regeneration of mangroves thus becomes a natural mitigation mechanism for climate change. . The 36-membered MMCU falls under the Maharashtra state forest department’s Mangrove Cell, the only unit in India that specializes in mangrove protection and conse...