Stabilizing Erosion at the Airport in Palau

Right: eroding airport hillside. Left: installation of hill stabilization methods

Managing hillside erosion here is key to protecting the health of the watershed & local ecosystems.

Erosion here has been a long-term contributor to sediment loads in the Airai Bay watershed. Once heavy rains and sediment laden water hit a hard surface (like a road), they flow quickly into storm drains which deliver sediment pollution to streams.

The streams in turn and deliver the sediment right to coastal waterways. In this case, the sediment load ends in Airai Bay, which is home to important breeding grounds for the goatfish and other local sensitive species.

Stabilizing the hillside with nature-based techniques keeps sediments in place, supports plant growth, and protects Airai Bay and coastal waters in Palau.  

This look at watersheds as water flows from ridge to reefs guides our nature-based ecosystem restoration and protection designs!

Nature knows - we use bioengineering principles to adapt natural processes to restore and protect watershed systems, like this one. 

This is part of the airport erosion site in Palau. 

We used bamboo, beetle palms, vetiver grass, and other locally available and easily sourced materials. This sourcing contributes to circularity and independence from imports. We also used compost amendments to kick-start the growth of erosion controlling plants to stabilize the slope. 

These plants also intercept water flowing downhill! We planted them perpendicular to water flows. This sets them up to capture and evapotranspirate water (transpiration: plants draw water in through roots).

This pilot will soon be expanded to address the whole hillside and can also serve as a model for other sediment source areas along the Compact Road in Palau. 

For installation, we worked with Palau Community Collge Cooperative Reserach and Extension (PCC-CRE), Leonard “Gorkas” Basilius, Director of PCAA (Palau Community Action Agency), the Palau National Aviation Administration (PNAA).

This pilot effort was funded by the Department of the Interior Coral Reef and Natural Resource Initiative.

Thanks for following along with our pilot stabilization efforts at the Palau airport! Next steps and further stabilization and restoration activities coming soon!