Supporting Pacific Island mangrove restoration

In 2021, COVID-19 put field-training sessions on hold – but the MAP team was still eager to reach as many global stakeholders as possible during the pandemic. Partnering with the US Forest Service (USFS) International Programs, we took our Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) training online to conduct a series of workshops that would allow for more people to attend from various countries. In January 2021, our six-week workshop welcomed 47 participants from across the Pacific Islands, including Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Marshall Islands, Fiji, and Samoa.

The remote Pacific Islands are beautiful landscapes comprising island nations as thin as coral atolls rich in mangrove forests, to large volcanic islands with high altitudes and inland forests. These unique ecosystems are a valuable resource for local communities, who heavily rely on goods and services harvested from them. This makes these areas particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with nations and their forests already experiencing increased wildfires, sea level rise, and increased extreme weather events. These effects are compounded by rising rates of deforestation and degradation.

The restoration of mangroves and upland forests is a proven management plan that can help Pacific Island nations mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. As part of this plan, USFS’s PIFRI project aims to improve the quality and extend the coverage of island forests by awarding small grants to local NGOs and offering training and workshops, such as CBEMR. As well as covering mangrove ecosystems, the project focuses on island terrestrial forests to ensure these ecosystems continue to provide valuable goods and services to local communities and wider populations.