We're working with our network of on-the-ground partners to deliver mangrove restoration to threatened coastal areas around the world. Read on for more information about projects in China, Myanmar, Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia, and the United States.
China
Following rapid mangrove destruction in China up to 2001, a program of protection was put in place and by 2019 67% of mangrove forests in the country were enclosed within protected areas. Zhanjiang, in Guangdong Province on the southern tip of the country, has one of the largest mangrove nature reserves, covering more than 20,000 hectares. This project extends that critical ecosystem by planting up to 400 hectares of new mangroves, restoring the degraded areas. Four native mangrove species are being used – Avicennia marina, Rhizophorasty losa, Kandelia obovata, and Aegiceras corniculatum – and the project will form part of the protected area.
Mexico
In Southern Mexico nearly half of the mangrove forests in the area have been destroyed. That’s equivalent to an area the size of 2,000 football pitches. It is caused by population growth and severe weather impacting the salinity and oxygen levels in the water.
Some of the tidal areas have already been restored which means there is a healthy water flow to enable the reforested mangroves to grow. Now about 650,000 trees need to be planted which will be done by a local cooperative - Comunidad de Restauradores del Manglar en Isla Aguada. They are working with a local mangrove expert to ensure the quality of the seedlings, maintain and monitor the area, protect it from further degradation, and restore a thriving mangrove forest.
Myanmar
Myanmar's coastal areas are seriously impacted by climate change with rapid sea-level rise and more violent cyclones and extreme weather. Maintaining and restoring mangrove ecosystems provides a critical defense for vulnerable communities. Working with an international NGO that has been operating in the country since 2012, the project uses native mangrove species and works with local communities to deliver programs for new income opportunities - bee keeping, coloring and tailoring clothes, and crab and clam farming. The project is registered as a Blue Carbon project under the Verified Carbon Standard.
Kenya
Over 80% of Kenya’s mangrove forests have disappeared. On Mtwapa Creek, near Mombasa, the mangrove forests have been destroyed to provide fuel and income for local communities. The deforestation has been so severe there is space for at least 100,000 trees. A local conservation group based in the area is raising seedlings to restore the coastal mangroves.
In order to present a new alternative to local communities, beehives are installed in the trees – providing a new income source from the sale of honey. Medicinal honey is in high demand and particularly valuable in the markets.
Indonesia
Abandoned shrimp farms around the edge of the Rimba Raya biodiversity reserve in southern Borneo led to the complete destruction of the mangrove forests. The Rimba Raya reserve was set up to protect valuable peat forest next to the Tanjung Puting national park from destruction for palm oil plantations. Working with local communities to incentivize the growth of new mangrove seedlings on the southern edge of the reserve, the Rimba Raya project is planting up to 100,000 saplings a year.
The restored area will be critical to the health and success of the entire reserve - protecting it from coastal erosion and storm surges, building a healthy aquatic system for fish, and providing local communities with sources of food and income that preserve carbon-dense forest.
United States
Almost all the mangroves in the United States are along the coast of southern Florida. They provide a highly effective natural defense against sea level rise and storm surges which will impact the local income households and small business owners of South Florida. We are working with the Arbor Day Foundation on restoration of these blue carbon ecosystems, creating a buffer against the increased rate of flooding, providing habitat for a wealth of coastal and marine species, and delivering a highly effective natural climate solution.