Solar Powered Boat for Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation

Solar Energy, Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation, Reduce Oil spill and Carbon Emission, Environment Pollution, Sundarbans Coastal Communities, Cost effective, 

The Sundarbans is the single largest mangrove forest in the world as well as a UNESCO declared Natural World Heritage site and a RAMASAR Wetland site. The Sundarbans ecosystem serves as a natural safeguard to approximately 3.5 million coastal people depend on its natural resources. The Sundarbans coastal communities use the traditional diesel and kerosene engine boats for their resources harvesting, carrying and general transportation, tourism business etc. Even, Department of Forest, Government of Bangladesh is using the traditional engine boat for forest management activities. The tourist companies also use the same type of engine boat for tourism activities inside this mangrove ecosystem. Not only in the Sundarbans coastal region but also all over the country; especially people of all the coastal region of Bangladesh use the engine boats for their regular work; because Bangladesh is a riverine country. Everyday these boats lead oil spilling into the water and thus pollute the aquatic ecosystem as well as produce lot of carbon, which is really harmful to maintain the sound health of the environment. So, these diesel and kerosene engine boats are critical threat for the mangrove ecosystem especially for the mangrove regeneration process. On the other hand, price of kerosene and diesel is increasing rapidly and very often local people fall in difficulty to purchase oil. Sometimes those combustible substances become the reason of fire making and spread out it.

We would like to introduce a Solar Powered Boat with the community. This technology is very much environment friendly, cost effective and sustainable for use. We want to carry out this project in the Sundarbans region by involving the Sundarbans coastal communities and engage them in Sundarbans ecosystem conservation. Our main goal is to conserve the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem from oil spilling. Our selected beneficiaries will use this excellent technology of Solar Powered Boat in the Sundarbans region for the first time and make history on the way of bringing a great change from ecosystem conservation perspective. 

Our solution would promote the use of renewable energy to conserve mangrove ecosystem. Using of this trade mark boat will directly involve the coastal people. Fruitful result of using such boat would encourage other people of the coastal areas to use such functional technology. This boat will be cost effective that is it will have economic benefits. If a general engine boat needs 25 liters of Kerosene or diesel in a day, it will cost 3102500 BDT (38781 USD) in 5 years (68 BD Taka/liter). But the Solar powered boat will cost 1,700,000 BDT (21,250 USD) to make and it will continue more than 5 years without  using Kerosene or diesel. This boat has significant environmental aspects too. The boat will directly protest carbon emission and oil spilling into the water. It will also help in mangrove regeneration. This innovation will change the harmful trend of using oil engine boat to green energy boat by the coastal communities. So, this solution has direct impacts on both environmental and social aspects.

Solar powered boat is an excellent new technology for green development without producing oil spill and carbon in the aquatic environment beside the world single largest mangrove ecosystem. It is a tool to develop a green society by engaging local community. This innovative technology is very much cost effective, environment friendly, pragmatic, time demanding and sustainable in the Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh. This innovative technology will ensure the sustainable use of renewable energy. Main innovation of our solution is to conserve mangrove ecosystem by using solar powered and energy saving green boat.

The solution that is the solar powered boat will promote the sustainable usage of renewable energy. This cost effective technology will help to protect the environment by not producing carbon, not polluting aquatic ecosystem by oil spilling or damaging the mangrove regeneration process like the traditional oil engine boat. The solution would help the local community from purchasing kerosene in regular succession. So, this solution can be the model case of environment friendly transportation in the Sundarbans coastal region in order to protect the mangrove ecosystem. By using this solution coastal people will directly contribute in ecosystem protection.     

Our main goal is to introduce a green technology named solar powered environment friendly boat with the coastal people, which is a brand new technology for the Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh to protect the mangrove flagship ecosystem from the destructive force of oil spilling. Engaging coastal communities, tourist company and department of forest with the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem conservation activities as well as assist to achieve the SDGs 3, 13, 14, 15 and 17 

This is an idea stage of our initiative. If our initiative becomes successful, we will go for the pilot stage in the same area. If our initiative becomes fruitful in the pilot level, then we would go for the scale up level with our initiative that is we will move forward to all over the coastal region. We will engage  the stakeholders with our innovation like Sundarbans resources harvesters, coastal communities, tour companies, Department of Forest etc within next three to five years. This initiative will impact 50,000 people by the end of 5th year.   

We will introduce and disseminate our technology among our target beneficiaries through the Government NGOs coordination meeting at the sub-district and district level. We will also introduce our solution with the Sundarbans coastal communities through BEDS regular meetings, workshop and seminar. We will train up the local boat making technician on how to make and maintain the solar boat. 

This is a brand new idea or conception. So, we are yet to serve people with our solution. But once we establish the solution, we will definitely engage the Sundarbans coastal communities with our solution.

We hope we would be able to disseminate our solution among 10,000 people in twelve months through NGOs coordination meeting, regular NGOs meeting, workshop etc. We will introduce this solution among the local boat making technician through developing their skill on solar powered boat making and maintained. We will disseminate this technology among the mass communities through circulating leaflet, flyer, poster etc as well as social media campaign. We expect that we would be able to disseminate the news of our solution among 30,000 coastal people in three years.  

I am a development activist; having more than 15 years working experience on Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem conservation with the coastal communities since 2000. I have completed my Master of Science (M.Sc) in Zoology from National University, Bangladesh. Published  more than 10 books and several articles, implemented more than 40 projects under my leadership on Sundarbans mangrove flagship ecosystem and environment. We have a young, energetic, enthusiastic and quick learning team of 25 members from different educational background. We have an excellent relationship with the target community, local Government and different local and international organizations.

I am position for long term sustainability because in Bangladesh near about one third of the coastal people use oil driven boat for movement and resource harvesting. Coastal peoples’ dependency on oil driven boat directly harms the mangrove ecosystem. Expansion is really necessary because, solar powered boat is cost effective, it can stop oil spilling, preserve aquatic ecosystem, contribute in mangrove regeneration process and sustain in the long run. It will have a great value in the national as well as international level, if the technology proves effective.

We believe that Solve is one of the biggest platforms to help the coastal communities as well as solving coastal and regional problems. So, we are applying to solve for solving regional problems created by oil driven boats in the Sundarbans. To reduce the impact of oil spilling on mangrove ecosystem and conserve the aquatic biodiversity, we need help from solve. Along with these, solve can help us with their strong connection and influence to get connected with other donor organizations to work in the long run to be successful who support for these kinds of problems.

The main barrier for our solution to succeed is lack of funding. Without funding we are not able to make and introduce the innovative technology of solar powered boat with the Sundarbans coastal communities. So, we want help from solve to execute our initiative in the Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh. Solve can also introduce different donor agencies with us who are interested to provide fund for initiatives like BEDS.