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Blue Carbon

Sine-Saloum Mangroves

Restoring ecosystems in Senegal

0 ha
target
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trees growing
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species regenerating
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households benefiting
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community nurseries

Location

The Sine-Saloum delta, west Senegal

Project partners

Oceanium

Restoration approaches

Direct planting (Rhizophora); nursery for A. germinans and L. racemosa

Species

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

Certification

VCS + CCB

Our goal in the spectacular delta of the Sine-Saloum in Senegal, the most visited region in the country, is to replant mangroves over 4775 hectares at a density of 5000 trees per hectare.

Our project will also re-establish sustainable and profitable mangrove-friendly fishing and farming activities for local communities.

It is expected to form part of the largest carbon-certified mangrove project in the world, together with a similar project in the more southerly Casamance delta.

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Why and how we're working here

Villages here rely on the mangroves to protect them from storms and support agriculture, fishing and seafood. 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. 

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The project's impact on

people

The mangroves here are crucial to local people; fish, including shellfish, is the primary source of animal protein in Senegal. Household incomes are low because of ever-diminishing harvests of fish and shellfish after the loss of their mangrove habitat. The communities here also rely heavily on farming, growing ground nuts, maize and rice and collecting wild honey.

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
Mangrove wood is used for construction, firewood and charcoal for fish smoking and cooking. Without the mangroves, the coastal communities here are vulnerable to the loss of income from shellfish harvests, as well as to the destruction caused by storms. © Nicolas van Ingen
Mangrove wood is used for construction, firewood and charcoal for fish smoking and cooking. Without the mangroves, the coastal communities here are vulnerable to the loss of income from shellfish harvests, as well as to the destruction caused by storms. © Nicolas van Ingen
By bringing the biodiversity of the area back to a higher level, the project will boost fish stocks and create sustainable harvesting opportunities for fishing and shellfish collection on the tidal channels and mudflats, improving conditions for the populations that draw their resources from the products of the mangrove areas. © Oceanium
By bringing the biodiversity of the area back to a higher level, the project will boost fish stocks and create sustainable harvesting opportunities for fishing and shellfish collection on the tidal channels and mudflats, improving conditions for the populations that draw their resources from the products of the mangrove areas. © Oceanium
The project is raising Avicennia to plant alongside Rhizophora because of its ability to filter out high levels of salt from the water and protect nearby crops from soil salinization. The nurseries provide jobs for local people. © Oceanium
The project is raising Avicennia to plant alongside Rhizophora because of its ability to filter out high levels of salt from the water and protect nearby crops from soil salinization. The nurseries provide jobs for local people. © Oceanium
With planting season approaching, the first step is to collect the propagules. To ensure quality reforestation, only mature propagules like these ones should be collected. © G. Ebong, WeForest
With planting season approaching, the first step is to collect the propagules. To ensure quality reforestation, only mature propagules like these ones should be collected. © G. Ebong, WeForest
Most of the planters are women and young people. A planting day can bring together between 50 and 500 people. © Nicolas van Ingen
Most of the planters are women and young people. A planting day can bring together between 50 and 500 people. © Nicolas van Ingen
To start planting, people line up in a long row and then move forward one metre at a time to plant each propagule, to achieve the required density. © Nicolas van Ingen
To start planting, people line up in a long row and then move forward one metre at a time to plant each propagule, to achieve the required density. © Nicolas van Ingen
Saltwater inlets extend quite far inland from the sea, making the Sine-Saloum delta the perfect home for mangroves: tropical trees and shrubs that thrive in salty, coastal waters. © Nicolas van Ingen
Saltwater inlets extend quite far inland from the sea, making the Sine-Saloum delta the perfect home for mangroves: tropical trees and shrubs that thrive in salty, coastal waters. © Nicolas van Ingen
The delta is known for a high biodiversity of flora and fauna. These are hyena tracks. © OS, WeForest
The delta is known for a high biodiversity of flora and fauna. These are hyena tracks. © OS, WeForest

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Progress reports

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