Socioeconomic Impact of EarthLungs at Rabai Mirarani

Rabai Mirarani, a coastal area renowned for its once-rich biodiversity, has become the focus of a dedicated mangrove restoration project by EarthLungs, a non-profit NGO committed to revitalizing the ecosystem and enhancing community livelihoods. Since the project's inception in July 2023, the organization's efforts have not only rejuvenated the mangroves but also significantly improved the quality of life for local residents, despite initial challenges.

"As Summer Boaz, the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer at Rabai Mirarani, I am a direct beneficiary of this project and a witness to its role in restoring the degraded creek and positively influencing the socioeconomic lives of the community. A recent baseline survey I conducted revealed the project's successful positive impact on employed individuals (direct beneficiaries), and I believe the indirect beneficiaries within the community are countless."

In terms of sanitation and hygiene, 90% of these 15 planters now have access to clean drinking water and improved toilet systems. When the project began, many employees faced inadequate housing and lacked proper sanitation. Addressing these challenges became a critical part of our mission to uplift the community alongside environmental restoration.

The overall success stories include economic empowerment, improved living standards, enhanced food security, strengthened community bonds, skill development, environmental education, and environmental benefits. Similarly, since the project's inception, the mangrove seedlings and propagules we have planted, maintaining a 70% survival rate, have significantly enhanced the restoration of this severely degraded marine ecosystem. The trees are growing well with minimal disturbance, and we believe this will lead to a compelling story of how EarthLungs, through environmental stewardship, restored the ecosystem to its full potential.

To support this narrative, interviews with local fishermen have revealed that the restored sites are attracting more fish and other edible crustaceans, such as crabs, prawns, and shrimp. We anticipate that fishermen's baskets will be filled in the future, resulting from the increased biodiversity in the area.