Thrissur: Several agencies have teamed up to launch a targeted ecological restoration of the endangered riparian ecosystem of Chalakudy river, which has immense ecological significance.The primary phase of the project was to identify endangered plant species in the riparian vegetation of Chalakudy and areas facing severe degradation. These activities were completed last year.In the second phase, which was launched this week, the focus will be on planting multiple species with an objective to restore the biodiversity of the degraded areas, nearly in original pattern. An interesting feature of the programme is the involvement of local populace, especially the Kadar tribal community.The biodiversity management committees (BMC) of the local bodies at Vazhachal, Chalakudy, and Athirappilly, tribal communities, National rural employment guarantee scheme, botany department of MES Asmabi College, Kodungallur, forest department and forest development agencies and local self-govt institutions, including district panchayats of Thrissur and Ernakulam are collaborating in the project.Western Ghats Hornbill Foundation is coordinating the project. Nature-based solutions (NbS) framework developed by the institution’s researchers, Amitha Bachan and Devika Anilkumar, was utilized to predict potential conservation and restoration areas for the species.Saplings to be planted in the degraded areas were grown in special nurseries.In case of plant species identified as endangered, the team adopted a different method. "We addressed the regeneration bottleneck by replicating riverine conditions in a nursery setting —soaking seeds in a water-sand medium for 14 days to break dormancy. This technique yielded more than 400 robust saplings, which were out-planted into degraded stretches identified through ecological niche modeling (ENM),’’ Bachan said.This initiative will facilitate climate change mitigation, conservation of rare flora and fauna including hornbills, sustainable development goals, reduction of human-wildlife conflict. It could also lead to enhancement of efficiency of NREGS and Green India Mission, as workers in those projects could be deployed for maintaining the newly planted saplings.