BIS Introduces India’s First Mangrove Restoration Standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing India’s first Indian Standard for the restoration of mangrove ecosystems. The draft standard, titled Restoration of Mangrove Ecosystem — Guidelines, was made public in March 2026 and received hundreds of inputs from stakeholders.

Mangrove Ecosystems in India

Mangroves are salt-tolerant coastal forests that grow in intertidal zones, estuaries, deltas, and sheltered shorelines. India has mangrove areas in the Sundarbans, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and several island territories.

BIS Standard-Setting Process

BIS is India’s national standards body under the BIS Act, 2016. It develops Indian Standards through technical committees, draft publication, stakeholder consultation, and final notification. The committee EED 06: WG 02 was formed in 2023 to prepare a unified standard operating procedure for mangrove restoration. A stakeholder meeting was held on 11 June 2026 in Jharkhali, where local communities gave suggestions on plantation methods and restoration practices. BIS agreed to include the use of cloth or biodegradable bags instead of polythene packets for planting.

Restoration Features and Local Inputs

The draft standard covers restoration methods for mangrove ecosystems across different coastal settings. Stakeholders also recommended linking restoration with livelihood options, including the planting of fruit-bearing trees in suitable areas. BIS has noted the difficulty of creating a single national standard because mangrove regions in India differ in geography, tidal conditions, salinity, and settlement patterns.

Important Facts for Exams

• Mangroves are halophytic plants that survive in saline coastal environments.
• The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in India and one of the largest in the world.
• Indian Standards are generally voluntary unless made mandatory by law or government order.
• BIS functions as the national standards body of India and works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

MISHTI Programme

The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) was launched in 2023 to restore 540 sq km of mangroves across nine coastal states and four Union Territories. The programme has been extended until 2029 with an additional allocation of ₹500 crore, taking the total allocation to ₹600 crore. As of 10 July 2026, ₹88.40 crore had been released to six states and Union Territories under MISHTI.