Cebu Floating Garden for Mangroves
Mangroves are rich in biodiversity, fish nurseries, a dense carbon sink and provide coastal protection. Yet, mangroves forests are globally declining and at further risk. Replanting has low success rates, as where mangroves are needed the most, small plants are too vulnerable to coastal currents. Floating mangrove nurseries could provide a solution.
As nurseries they can grow in sheltered locations of bays and harbors, where they clean water and add to biodiversity. They can be constructed and maintained by underprivileged coastal communities as a source of income.
A series of three workshops for design+build was held in Cebu, with Dutch, Taiwanese and Philippines students. The plan is to use bamboo, abacan rope, coconut fibre maths and other organic materials to build floating rafts to grow mangroves on.
Once the mangroves reach a certain size, they can be moored at their final location. While the raft biodegrades it provides sheltered protection for the mangroves to root. After this, the rooted mangroves become shelter for biodiversity and protection from coastal erosion.
Floating mangrove gardens are a ‘building with nature’ tool for green coastal development. Through multiple collaborations with Waterarchitect over twenty floating gardens were constructed in Cebu, Taiwan and Thailand.
