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Blue Carbon

Casamance Mangroves

Restoring wetlands in Senegal

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target
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trees growing
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species regenerating
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people trained
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communities engaged

Location

The Casamance river, south Senegal

Project partners

Oceanium

Restoration approaches

Direct planting

Species

Rhizophora mangle, R. racemosa, R. harisonnii, Avicennia germinans, Conocarpus erectus & Laguncularia racemosa

Certification

VCS + CCB

The estuary of the Casamance river was once home to an abundance of mangroves – tropical trees and shrubs that thrive in salty, tidal waters.

Villages here rely on the mangroves to protect them from storms and to support agriculture, fishing and the harvesting of shellfish. In the 1970s, the area was blighted by drought. People started using the mangroves for firewood, which fed a vicious cycle of deforestation and poverty.

Our project here is expected to form part of the largest carbon-certified mangrove project in the world, together with a similar project in the more northerly Sine-Saloum delta.

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Why and how we're working here

The delta was seriously affected by a drought from 1968 to 1994, which killed the mangroves in the higher parts of the mudflats. The mangroves were also chopped down for their wood, which is used for construction, firewood and charcoal for fish smoking and cooking. Without the mangroves, the coastal communities are vulnerable to the loss of income from shellfish harvests, as well as to the destruction caused by storms.

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The project's impact on

people

The project aims to build local capacity to hand management of the reserve over to the communities. A livelihood plan will alleviate the pressure on the forest resources by providing alternative sources of income from activities such as sustainable agriculture, agroforestry  and beekeeping.

Mangroves’ complex root systems protect coastal areas from storms and erosion, provide habitats for fish and shellfish that are important protein sources for local people, and sequester huge amounts of carbon that can fight climate change. © Nicolas Van Ingen
Mangroves’ complex root systems protect coastal areas from storms and erosion, provide habitats for fish and shellfish that are important protein sources for local people, and sequester huge amounts of carbon that can fight climate change. © Nicolas Van Ingen
The mangroves here are crucial to local people; fish, including shellfish, is the primary source of animal protein in Senegal. While men do most of the fishing, women are more involved in shellfish and oyster collection and processing, but household incomes are low because of ever-diminishing harvests of fish and shellfish after the loss of their habitat. © Germaine Neyra, WeForest
The mangroves here are crucial to local people; fish, including shellfish, is the primary source of animal protein in Senegal. While men do most of the fishing, women are more involved in shellfish and oyster collection and processing, but household incomes are low because of ever-diminishing harvests of fish and shellfish after the loss of their habitat. © Germaine Neyra, WeForest
The communities here also rely heavily on farming, with maize, rice, peanuts and fruit grown both for consumption and for sale, and sometimes for export. Farmers report an increase in the salinity of the soil as a result of the disappearing mangroves, making it difficult to grow crops and food in the plots close to the river. © N. Van Ingen
The communities here also rely heavily on farming, with maize, rice, peanuts and fruit grown both for consumption and for sale, and sometimes for export. Farmers report an increase in the salinity of the soil as a result of the disappearing mangroves, making it difficult to grow crops and food in the plots close to the river. © N. Van Ingen
With Oceanium, the most experienced mangrove restoration NGO in Senegal, our goal in Casamance is to replant mangroves over 2245 hectares at a density of 5000 trees per hectare and re-establish sustainable and profitable mangrove-friendly fishing and farming activities for local communities. © Oceanium
With Oceanium, the most experienced mangrove restoration NGO in Senegal, our goal in Casamance is to replant mangroves over 2245 hectares at a density of 5000 trees per hectare and re-establish sustainable and profitable mangrove-friendly fishing and farming activities for local communities. © Oceanium
Although the majority of the mangroves planted in the project will be Rhizophora, the Avicennia genus is important here because of its more desirable impact on the salt content of the ecosystem. It is hard to find Avicennia seeds because of climate change and other factors, so they are raised in tidal nurseries that mimic local conditions to support survival. © OS, WeForest
Although the majority of the mangroves planted in the project will be Rhizophora, the Avicennia genus is important here because of its more desirable impact on the salt content of the ecosystem. It is hard to find Avicennia seeds because of climate change and other factors, so they are raised in tidal nurseries that mimic local conditions to support survival. © OS, WeForest
Local communities are deeply engaged in the restoration of the mangroves. Women and young people in particular participate in the project by collecting and planting mangrove propagules or working in the nurseries. © N. Van Ingen
Local communities are deeply engaged in the restoration of the mangroves. Women and young people in particular participate in the project by collecting and planting mangrove propagules or working in the nurseries. © N. Van Ingen
The project will boost fish stocks and create sustainable harvesting opportunities for fishing and shellfish collection on the tidal channels and mudflats. Creating new market opportunities and strengthening local expertise on mangroves could open new opportunities to connect local products to different markets and regions in Senegal. © N. Van Ingen
The project will boost fish stocks and create sustainable harvesting opportunities for fishing and shellfish collection on the tidal channels and mudflats. Creating new market opportunities and strengthening local expertise on mangroves could open new opportunities to connect local products to different markets and regions in Senegal. © N. Van Ingen
The Casamance delta is known for a high biodiversity of flora and fauna. It is home to several critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable species of turtle, as well as the critically endangered Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) and the lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos). © N. Van Ingen
The Casamance delta is known for a high biodiversity of flora and fauna. It is home to several critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable species of turtle, as well as the critically endangered Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) and the lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos). © N. Van Ingen

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Stories from the field

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Progress reports