Self Help Africa has replanted more than 500 hectares of degraded mangrove swamps along the coastal estuaries of Senegal and The Gambia, as part of a major international effort to protect disappearing mangrove forests.<\/p>
Growing in dense coastal jungles \u2013 where land meets water \u2013 mangroves are a hotspot of biodiversity that provide food and income for local communities while protecting coasts and riverbanks from flooding and erosion. They are also up to seven times more effective than other forests at removing polluting carbon from the atmosphere.<\/p>
However, across the globe, mangroves are under threat \u2013 from both global warming and human development \u2013 and it is estimated that more than one third of the world\u2019s mangrove forests have been lost in the past 25 years.<\/p>
In Senegal and The Gambia, Self Help Africa is supporting international efforts to regenerate mangrove estuaries in the Casamance and Sine Saloum regions \u2013 which have close to 200,000 hectares of mangrove forest.<\/p>
Our efforts have restored approximately 500 hectares \u2013 the equivalent of 1,260 football pitches \u2013 in the past year, and more planting is planned for 2024.<\/p>
The initiative is being supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Senegal\u2019s Ministry for the Environment and corporate partners.<\/p>