Stichting Wetlands International

Mangroves are crucial, both from a climate perspective, and for biodiversity. They store carbon dioxide to a greater extent than many other environments, serve as protection against storms and erosion, and harbor immense biodiversity. Mangroves are also vital for the living conditions of coastal communities as they provide access to firewood, fish, honey, and traditional […]

Mangroves are crucial, both from a climate perspective, and for biodiversity. They store carbon dioxide to a greater extent than many other environments, serve as protection against storms and erosion, and harbor immense biodiversity. Mangroves are also vital for the living conditions of coastal communities as they provide access to firewood, fish, honey, and traditional medicines. The Casamance Delta in southern Senegal is one of Africa’s largest mangrove areas, but the mangrove forest has significantly decreased over recent decades, leading to substantial economic and ecological losses. Reasons include climate changes, that have caused desiccation and altered the salt and freshwater balance, as well as overuse and unsustainable exploitation of the forest for firewood and damage during oyster harvesting.

In this project, Stichting Wetlands International aims to preserve, restore, and sustainably manage the mangroves in the Casamance Delta in Senegal.

The project is supported with 5 780 000 SEK.

The project is part of The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation’s initiative “Coastal Ecosystems”, which aims to contribute to the biodiversity of coastal ecosystems and their ability to protect against the negative effects of climate change along the coasts.