Since 2019, Guinée Ecology (BirdLife Partner in Guinea) has been involved in the restoration of mangroves in the country. From 2019 to 2022, more than 1,400 hectares of mangroves have been restored to the Tristao Islands.
Yamoussa Cissé, grew up in Kogon Village, Yattiya sector, located in the Tristao Islands, Northern Guinea – one of the islands that form the border between the Republic of Guinea and Guinea Bissau. The islands are characterized by extensive sandbanks, estuaries, mudflats, and mangrove forests that host many species including sea turtles and crocodiles. Guinea’s coastline stretches for 320 km2 dotted by inlets, estuaries, and numerous offshore islands. The country’s mangroves extend up to 40km inland.
Mangroves play an important role in coastal ecology, ensuring and sustaining coastal communities. They protect coastlines from severe storms, erosion, and wave action. They also act as a carbon sink capturing 3-5% more carbon units per area – more than any other forest system. In addition, mangroves help local communities to have abundant fish resources, by facilitating the reproduction of fish along the coast particularly shrimps and oysters. Despite its importance, the mangrove ecosystem in the country is now threatened.
Egyptian Plover, copyright Nik Borrow, from surfbirds galleries
The population of the Tristao Islands fluctuates between 15,000 and 20,000, depending on the number of fishing camps established, is maintained by the exploitation of natural resources and mangroves.
From 2010 to 2015, we have seen mangroves drastically reduced by 7000 hectares.
Since 2019, Guinée Ecology (BirdLife Partner in Guinea) has been involved in the restoration of mangroves in the country. Between 2019 and 2022, Guinea Ecology carried out a restoration project in the Tristao Islands. The project, supported by the Foundation Audemar Watkins, led to the restoration of over 1,400 hectares of mangroves in the Tristao Islands.
“The Tristao islands are important habitats for wildlife and fisheries resources. Tristao has been a Ramsar site since 1992 and has had marine protected area (MPA) status since 2013, with the aim of ensuring protection and participatory conservation of biodiversity and socio-cultural heritage to improve the living conditions of communities. It is a breeding ground for several species of fish and marine turtles, and more than 200 species of birds have been identified, so the need to restore this critical ecosystem, says Mamadou Diawara, Guinée Ecologie Executive Director.
Based on the success of the PAPBIO project, a second mangrove restoration project was launched in the Konkouré delta in Dubréka prefecture in January 2023. Funded by the same donor, Audemars Watkins Foundation, this 3-year project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, through the Guinean Office of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves (OGPNRF), and local communities in the project area.
Aim to increase the mangrove to 500 hectares, including 100 hectares of mangrove to be reforested, 100 hectares through Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), 50 hectares through the restoration of paddy fields and 250 hectares through activities that aims to reduce pressure on mangroves, especially the promotion of solar salt production, the construction of ovens and improved stoves, and fencing through monitoring. But also promotes good sustainable production practices.
Before starting the project, Guinée Ecology conducted awareness-raising exercises in local communities, in which Cisse participated.
“We are happy that this project is in place, and I will be there wholeheartedly to support the project so that we can achieve our goals. As soon as reforestation activities are launched, we will commit ourselves to reforesting as many hectares of mangrove as possible. In any case we are happy that Guinée Ecology has contacted us in this project. We look forward to the reforestation activities so that we can give our contribution”, said Cissé.
Early Acquisitions
To this end, information and site identification activities for reforestation, ANR, and the restoration of abandoned rice paddies in Konkouré delta prefecture were carried out with local communities. Additionally, a socio-economic survey of pilot sites for the Konkouré delta restoration project was conducted by the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM), a working group that established and signed local agreements.
For Ousmane Bangoura, head of the Dofili/Kopèrin Sector on the mainland side, is doing a wonderful job in the Konkouré Delta. “We see this restoration project as a major step in protecting the environment in general, and our mangrove ecosystem. For this reason, we can only appreciate the initiative. We’re going to support all the players involved in this project,” he enthuses.
As part of the project’s implementation activities, Guinea Ecologe started restoration campaigns in August 2023. In the same vein, the project will support communities in market garden production, oyster farming, solar salt production, the distribution of 50 chorkor ovens for fish smokers, and 100 improved fireplaces to be manufactured and distributed to households. Awareness raising, information and communication activities will be conducted in favor of mangrove conservation.
“Our long-term commitment remains the sustainable conservation of mangrove ecosystems in the Tristao Islands of Guinea. And to achieve this, we strive to ensure the implementation of concrete measures for the sustainable management of mangroves and the reduction of anthropic pressure by promoting alternative methods, supporting income-generating activities and natural resource management ” concluded Diawara.
“We see this restoration project as a major step in protecting the environment in general, and our mangrove ecosystem. For this reason, we can only appreciate the initiative. We will support all players involved in this project. Ousmane Bangoura, Head of the Dofili/Kopèrin Sector in the Tristao Islands
