Project Manager:
Oceanium in Dakar
Location:
Casamance, Senegal
Start of the Project:
2012
Achievements to date:
More than 800 hectares of planted land, i.e., more than 4 million mangrove trees planted.
Projections:
300 ha / year for another 2 years in Casamance
Objectives:
- Restore mangrove forests by planting Rhizophora trees in degraded areas;
- Curb soil salinization;
- Create favourable conditions for the preservation of halieutic resources and biodiversity;
- Store carbon during mangrove tree planting especially in the soil which is rich in organic matter.
Planted Species:
- Rhizophora mangle
Concerned Ecosystem:
The mangrove forest, a pivotal zone between fresh and saltwater on coastlines of tropical zones.
Project Overview:
The importance of the mangrove ecosystem is evident. It is indeed a biomass-productive ecosystem which has the advantage of protecting the coastline as well as stabilising, structuring and desalinating the soils and ensuring food security for local populations. Its global surface area decreased by 20% between 1980 and 2005, or almost 1% per year. Mangrove forests represent less than 0.5% of the world’s forests and can therefore be considered rare – rare but essential, because it extends over 75% of the tropical shores. The degradation of this ecosystem and the disappearance of related resources greatly harm the populations’ livelihood. The project consists of planting Rhizophora, which is the easiest species to plant since it does not require a nursery. After the drought in the 1970s, large areas disappeared giving way to deserts and causing rice fields to dry up. By expanding the land for mangroves, the project makes it possible to curb over-salting of the land and the overexploitation of resources. It also helps with the populations’ food security.
Beneficiaires:
Villages belonging mainly to the Dioula ethnic group. The residents practise rice farming and fishing. Each village operates a traditionally demarked mangrove zone. The beneficiaries are financially motivated to collect the propagules.