MAP Visits W. Africa
By Alfredo Quarto
Exec. Dir. Mangrove Action Project
Last
September, Ibrahima THIAM, Regional Director the International Union for
Conservation of Nature invited Mangrove Action Project (MAP) executive director Alfredo Quarto to
attend a special workshop in Dakar, Senegal organized by Wetlands International
in partnership with (IUCN) from 05-06 October 2015. The workshop involved the
Regional Mangrove Program under the aegis of the Marine Conservation in Western
Africa whose purpose was to contribute to the conservation of mangrove
ecosystems through the development of a vast and ambitious program involving
international practitioners and decision makers with expertise in mangrove
conservation and restoration.
September, Ibrahima THIAM, Regional Director the International Union for
Conservation of Nature invited Mangrove Action Project (MAP) executive director Alfredo Quarto to
attend a special workshop in Dakar, Senegal organized by Wetlands International
in partnership with (IUCN) from 05-06 October 2015. The workshop involved the
Regional Mangrove Program under the aegis of the Marine Conservation in Western
Africa whose purpose was to contribute to the conservation of mangrove
ecosystems through the development of a vast and ambitious program involving
international practitioners and decision makers with expertise in mangrove
conservation and restoration.
Alfredo
was invited to present on MAP’s projects and efforts, where he emphasized two
important tools that MAP hoped to share with others at the workshop, namely
MAP’s Marvelous Mangrove Curriculum and our Community-Base Ecological Mangrove
Restoration workshops. We were in
dialogie with Mr. Thiam about the potential use of these two programs in W.
Africa, beginning with a possible joint program in Guinea Bissau, where
abandoned rice field that had originally been established in mangrove areas
might be restored back to mangroves. Since WI,
Africa is involved in something called “green schools”, where
teachers introduce school kids to ecology issues, MAP hopes that our Curriculum
could be a great boost for their efforts.
was invited to present on MAP’s projects and efforts, where he emphasized two
important tools that MAP hoped to share with others at the workshop, namely
MAP’s Marvelous Mangrove Curriculum and our Community-Base Ecological Mangrove
Restoration workshops. We were in
dialogie with Mr. Thiam about the potential use of these two programs in W.
Africa, beginning with a possible joint program in Guinea Bissau, where
abandoned rice field that had originally been established in mangrove areas
might be restored back to mangroves. Since WI,
Africa is involved in something called “green schools”, where
teachers introduce school kids to ecology issues, MAP hopes that our Curriculum
could be a great boost for their efforts.
Towards this end, Alfredo joined a
fact-finding team visiting abandoned rice fields in Guinea Bissau/ Currently
WI, Africa is considering 18 abandoned rice fields as likely candidates for
mangrove restoration, which might involve MAP in both an active and advisory
capacity.
fact-finding team visiting abandoned rice fields in Guinea Bissau/ Currently
WI, Africa is considering 18 abandoned rice fields as likely candidates for
mangrove restoration, which might involve MAP in both an active and advisory
capacity.
A
Report on Preliminary Efforts to Restore Abandoned Rice Fields Back to
Mangroves
Report on Preliminary Efforts to Restore Abandoned Rice Fields Back to
Mangroves
Following
the workshop in Senegal, Alfredo travelled south to Guinea Bissau, where he
joined a fact-finding team, including representatives from Wetlands
International, Africa and the Netherlands. The attached assessment is by Pieter
van Eijk, WI Programme Head Climate Adaptation and Risk Reduction:
the workshop in Senegal, Alfredo travelled south to Guinea Bissau, where he
joined a fact-finding team, including representatives from Wetlands
International, Africa and the Netherlands. The attached assessment is by Pieter
van Eijk, WI Programme Head Climate Adaptation and Risk Reduction:
What do you do when mangroves fail to
naturally recolonise abandoned rice fields in one of the most precious mangrove
deltas of the world? Pieter van Eijk reports on a recent mission to Western
Africa that paves the way for large-scale mangrove recovery through a so-called
‘ecological restoration’ approach.
naturally recolonise abandoned rice fields in one of the most precious mangrove
deltas of the world? Pieter van Eijk reports on a recent mission to Western
Africa that paves the way for large-scale mangrove recovery through a so-called
‘ecological restoration’ approach.
While small on a map, Guinea Bissau is one of
the most sizeable mangrove countries in the world. Boasting no less than
300.000 hectares, on the African continent only Nigeria supports a larger area
of mangrove forest. Providing fish, fuelwood and other resources, the mangroves
are a lifeline to virtually all inhabitants of Guinea Bissau. Its coasts
support the second largest concentration of migratory water birds in Africa
while providing a safe home to sea-dwelling hippos and no less than 5 marine
turtle species.
Graph:
Mangrove cover in West Africa. Source: http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/publications/otherpubs/pdfs/Mangroves_of_Western_and_Central_Africa.pdf
Mangrove cover in West Africa. Source: http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/publications/otherpubs/pdfs/Mangroves_of_Western_and_Central_Africa.pdf
In the North of the country, Cacheu Mangrove park and its buffer zone, much of
the mangroves have been converted for rice production, under a shifting
cultivation system locally referred to as Mpampam. Upon their abandonment, many
rice fields never turned back to mangrove forests, despite many local efforts
to restore the area through active replanting. Thousands of hectares lay barren
as wastelands with little ecological and socio-economic value.
Photo:
Ricefields, abandoned fields and mangroves in Cacheu. By Leo Zwarts
(Altenburg & Wymenga)
Ricefields, abandoned fields and mangroves in Cacheu. By Leo Zwarts
(Altenburg & Wymenga)
Why did the mangroves fail to recolonise
the abandoned rice fields? And what can be done to support natural regeneration
of the area, while minimising restoration trough active planting efforts? Can
we turn these wastelands into wetland wonders?
With these questions in mind I arrive in hot and humid Guinea Bissau. I will
work on a plan for recovery of the delta´s mangroves and its natural values
together with a team from Wetlands International, project partners and external
expert Alfredo Quarto from the Mangrove Action project..
Mondriaan landscape
A few weeks before our mission we looked at an analysis of satellite images by
consultancy agency Altenburg & Wymenga. The maps paint a clear picture of
decades of destruction of the mangroves of Cacheu; we see a mosaic of blocks of
intact mangroves, alternating with bare patches of soil, that seem devoid of
life. Grids of small dykes and drainage canals separate the blocks. From outer
space Cacheu looks like a Mondriaan painting. In some blocks mangroves have
revived, but in many places they fail to return. The solution seems simple: by
removing some of the dykes that block the tidal flows and by bringing back some
former creeks into the system it should be easy to bring back the tides and
create a thriving mangrove forest.
Google
Earthimage showing active and abandoned ricefields. Some of these have
recovered, while others remain idle.
Earthimage showing active and abandoned ricefields. Some of these have
recovered, while others remain idle.
As always reality is harsh: as our
speedboat buzzes through the mangrove creeks we notice that most dams have been
breached through natural erosion. The current hydrology seems to favour
mangrove growth in most places. This means that something else must prevent the
seedlings from establishing. Wading through a former rice field we notice that
the soil turned from a muddy substance into a hardened crust. Have years
of desiccation during droughts and intense agricultural use, prevented the
vulnerable roots of mangroves sailings from penetrating the soil? Or do
large scale changes in river flows and local level drainage cause salinity
levels that are too high for mangroves to withstand?
speedboat buzzes through the mangrove creeks we notice that most dams have been
breached through natural erosion. The current hydrology seems to favour
mangrove growth in most places. This means that something else must prevent the
seedlings from establishing. Wading through a former rice field we notice that
the soil turned from a muddy substance into a hardened crust. Have years
of desiccation during droughts and intense agricultural use, prevented the
vulnerable roots of mangroves sailings from penetrating the soil? Or do
large scale changes in river flows and local level drainage cause salinity
levels that are too high for mangroves to withstand?
Even scarier thoughts cross our mind: given its geological history Cacheu might
well be home to so-called acid-sulphate soils. Drainage and subsequent exposure
to oxygen, triggers chemical processes that turn these soils highly acid. We do
not know what’s going on.
Ecological
rehabilitation
rehabilitation
These observations demonstrate the
complexity of mangrove restoration. Too often the ‘mangrove community’ turns to
active planting, without considering the conditions required for healthy
mangrove growth. As a result the majority of mangrove recovery projects across
the world has failed. Trees die, or grow in a stunted manner, yielding
very low ecological and economic values.
complexity of mangrove restoration. Too often the ‘mangrove community’ turns to
active planting, without considering the conditions required for healthy
mangrove growth. As a result the majority of mangrove recovery projects across
the world has failed. Trees die, or grow in a stunted manner, yielding
very low ecological and economic values.
Successful mangrove recovery requires us to ‘read’ the system. To understand
how we can put hydrology, soil quality and sediment dynamics back in place. In
our project we will do exactly this: find out how we can restore the mangroves
through ‘ecological rehabilitation’, an approach that focuses on restoring
enabling conditions to natural mangrove recovery.
Using the assessment of satellite images as a starting point, we will map
hydrology, salinity, acidity and a number of other parameters across the delta,
and try to understand how we can turn the buttons of the system. For example by
flushing the soil and restoring water flows. Or by breaking up the hardened top
soil. Working with the government and local communities themselves we want to
bring back the mangrove treasure trove on which they so much depend. And secure
the foraging and breeding grounds of the diverse wildlife. Not just in Cacheu,
but across the region.
By Pieter van Eijk, Programme Head Climate Adaptation and Risk Reduction