Lep-lep - Vlinder Senegal Blue Carbon

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In Senegal, mangrove estuaries are disappearing at an alarming rate. Since the 1970s, around a quarter of all the country’s mangrove forests have been lost. Droughts and deforestation have claimed a total surface area of approximately 45,000 hectares of mangroves. The major reasons for mangrove loss are unsustainable development practices and extreme weather events.

The project will restore 750 hectares of severely degraded mangroves in the Bignona Department, the Ziguinchor region of Senegal, during 2023–2025, with continuing support for forest protection for 30 years to come and aiming to extend for up to 100 years.

To achieve this, Vlinder is partnering with Diamani Kouta, a non-profit organization with 10 years of experience in financing and launching agricultural, ecological, educational and other projects in Senegal. They provide what they call “sustainable help for self-help” by creating jobs and livelihoods that enable local community members to make a living.

The key components of this mangrove restoration project are securing a variety of ecosystem services, climate change mitigation, economic considerations, and active participation of the local community. The project will create a healthy mangrove ecosystem in degraded lands. In addition to carbon sequestration, it will also address environmental issues including natural disaster risk reduction, biodiversity enhancement, and reduction of erosion and salt intrusion in agricultural land.

Environmental benefits

Mangrove forests are biodiverse habitats of great ecological significance

1. Mangrove ecosystems serve as nurseries for fish, marine life and coral reefs, tropical birds, crocodiles and animals
2. Mangrove roots act as a filtration system and capture silt preventing siltation in seagrass meadows and on coral reefs
3. Mangrove forests decrease the danger of erosion and salt intrusion
4. Mangrove reforestation reduces the impacts of storms and storm surges thereby reducing loss of lives and property damage

Community benefits

The project introduces income generating activities and reduces poverty among the country's vulnerable coastal communities

1. New jobs for local people
2. Value-added livelihoods and new revenue streams
3. Community education and upskilling
4. Training of community groups in mangrove restoration and providing employment for vulnerable populations
5. Capacity building, training and awareness with a particular focus on empowering women
6. Protecting people in the project area from extreme weather events like tsunamis and floods