At the mouth of Sanint Krate River, where the freshwater from Pharlain Mountain meets salty Andaman Sea, lies a large mangrove forest. There, you will find Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Avicennia alba, Rhizophora apiculata, Sonneratia caseolaris, Sonneratia griffithii, Xylocarpus granatum, Nypa frutican among the many. These mangrove species have been slowly taking over old paddyfields that turned too salty to cultivate after seawater intrusion, converting it to a large mangrove forest.
In June 2016, three villages of Pharlain—Andin, Sanint Krate and Kwan Kaw Kha Raw—jointly agree to conserve 190-acre of mangrove forest area and initiate “Mangrove Forest Recovery Project.” The community is studying most suitable and natural process to protect the existing mangrove forest. The community will start with planting at least 2,000 mangrove seedlings to assist local ecological resilience, as required by the Forest Department.
Upcoming in mid-August, the community meet again at Andin Monastery to finalize their restoration plan.
The Mangrove Forest Recovery Project is part of the community to protect their homes and environment. The mangrove forest is part of a larger coastal ecosystem which is the heart of Pharlain’s abundant marine elements and livelihoods.