Restoring vital mangrove ecosystems in Guinea – Nirantara

Since 2019, Guinée Ecologie (BirdLife Affiliate in Guinea) has been involved inside the restoration of mangroves inside the nation. From 2019 to 2022, larger than 1,400 hectares of mangroves had been restored inside the Tristao Islands.

Yamoussa Cissé, grew up in Kogon Village, Yattiya sector, positioned in Tristao Islands, Northern Guinea – one among many islands which type the border of Guinea Republic and Guinea Bissau. The islands are characterised by expansive sandbanks, estuaries, mud, and mangrove forests which host fairly just a few species along with sea turtles and crocodiles. Guinea’s coastal house extend 320 km2 dotted by inlets, estuaries, and fairly just a few offshore islands. The nation’s mangrove house extends as a lot as 40km inland.

Mangroves play an essential perform in coastal ecology, securing and sustaining coastal communities. They defend coastlines from extreme storms, erosion, and wave movement. As well as they act as carbon sink sequestering 3-5% further carbon unit per house – larger than another forest system. In addition to, mangroves help native communities to have an abundance of fish sources, through facilitating fish duplicate all by the shoreline considerably shrimps and oysters. No matter this significance, mangroves ecosystem inside the nation is now beneath danger.

Egyptian Plover, copyright Nik Borrow, from the surfbirds galleries

The inhabitants of Tristao Islands fluctuates between 15,000 and 20,000, counting on the number of fishing camps prepare, is sustained by exploitation of pure sources and mangroves.

From 2010 to 2015, we’ve obtained seen the mangrove house cut back drastically by 7000 hectares notes Aboubacar Soumah, Guinée Ecologie’s mangrove restoration Mission Coordinator in Tristao and Kapathez areas.

Since 2019, Guinée Ecologie (BirdLife Affiliate in Guinea) has been involved inside the restoration of mangroves inside the nation. Between 2019 and 2022, Guinee Ecologie carried out a restoration enterprise inside the Tristao Islands. The enterprise supported by the Foundation Audemar Watkins, led to the restoration of over 1,400 hectares of mangroves inside the Tristao Islands.

“The Tristao islands are essential habitats for wildlife and fishery sources. Tristao has been a Ramsar website online since 1992 and has had marine protected house (MPA) standing since 2013, with the objective of guaranteeing the protection and participatory conservation of biodiversity and socio-cultural heritage to boost the residing conditions of communities. It’s a breeding ground for a variety of species of fish and marine turtles, and over 200 species of birds have been acknowledged, due to this fact the need to revive this important ecosystem, argues Mamadou Diawara, Guinée Ecologie Authorities Director.

Setting up on the success of the PAPBIO enterprise launched a second mangrove restoration enterprise inside the Konkouré delta inside the Dubréka prefecture in January 2023. Funded by the similar donor, Audemars Watkins Foundation, this 3-year enterprise is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Enchancment, through the Guinean Office of Nationwide Parks and Wildlife Reserves (OGPNRF), and native communities inside the enterprise house.

The objective is to increase the mangrove house to 500 ha, along with 100 ha of mangrove to be reforested, 100 ha through Assisted Pure Regeneration (ANR), 50 ha through the restoration of rice paddies and 250 ha through actions aimed towards reducing pressure on mangrove wood, notably the promotion of picture voltaic salt manufacturing, the event of ovens and improved stoves, and fencing through surveillance. However as well as promoting good sustainable manufacturing practices.

Sooner than starting on the enterprise, Guinée Ecologie carried out consciousness elevating exercises inside the native communities, which Cisse took half in.

“We’re fully happy that this enterprise is in place, and I’ll be there with all my coronary coronary heart to help the enterprise so as that we are going to receive our goals. As shortly as reforestation actions are launched, we’re going to deploy ourselves to reforest as many hectares of mangrove as doable. In any case we’re fully happy that Guinée Ecologie engaged us on this enterprise. We’re making an attempt forward to the reforestation actions so as that we are going to make our contribution”, said Cissé.

Early Options

To this end, knowledge and website online identification actions for reforestation, ANR, and the restoration of abandoned rice fields inside the Konkouré delta prefecture had been carried out with native communities. Extra, a socio-economic survey of the pilot web sites for the Konkouré delta restoration enterprise was carried out by the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM), a working group prepare and native agreements signed.

For Ousmane Bangoura, head of the Dofili/Kopèrin Sector on the mainland side, is doing a excellent job inside the Konkouré Delta. “We see this restoration enterprise as a big step forward in defending the environment sometimes, and our mangrove ecosystem. Due to this, we are going to solely admire this initiative. We’re going to help the entire players involved on this enterprise,” he enthuses.

As part of enterprise implementation actions, Guinee Ecologie began restoration campaigns in August 2023. Within the similar vein, the enterprise will help communities in market yard manufacturing, oyster farming, picture voltaic salt manufacturing, the distribution of fifty chorkor ovens for fish individuals who smoke, and 100 improved fireplaces to be made and distributed to households. Consciousness-raising, knowledge and communication actions is perhaps carried out in favor of mangrove conservation.

“Our long-term dedication stays the sustainable conservation of mangrove ecosystems inside the Tristao Islands of Guinea. And to appreciate this, we strive to verify the implementation of concrete measures for the sustainable administration of mangroves and the low cost of anthropic pressure by promoting varied methods, supporting income-generating actions and pure helpful useful resource administration” concludes Diawara.

“We see this restoration enterprise as a big step forward in defending the environment sometimes, and our mangrove ecosystem. Due to this, we are going to solely admire this initiative. We’re going to help the entire players involved on this enterprise.” Ousmane Bangoura, Head of the Dofili/Kopèrin Sector inside the Tristao Islands

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