Signing of a cooperation agreement for the restoration (…) – Gabonews

2023-06-20 17:23:03

Signing of a cooperation agreement for the restoration and protection of mangroves

June 20, 2023

The Ministry of Water, Forests, Sea, Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan and the Land Use Plan and the Arise group, represented respectively by Prof. Lee White and Mr. Igor Simard signed a cooperation agreement for the restoration and protection of degraded mangroves threatened by urbanization in Greater Libreville. The signing of the agreement took place on the Mindoumbé 1 mangrove (Shanghai).

Indeed, the increase in coastal resilience and carbon storage, protection against floods, participation in food security, as well as the reduction of the risks of natural disasters linked to the impacts of climate change are all services provided by the mangroves. However, their existence is weakened by the anarchic urbanization that leads people to settle there.

This population movement has environmental consequences and the mangroves are subject to several pressures, including: deforestation, constructions, macro waste and waste water discharges. Loss of mangrove forests could significantly affect erosion patterns, nutrient cycles in coastal areas and the habitat of certain species.

The signing of this twenty (20) year agreement therefore provides solutions for the sustainable conservation and restoration of mangroves and reinforces Gabon’s biodiversity preservation policy and its positioning as a pioneer in conservation. . Through this cooperation agreement, the two parties undertake to compensate for the loss of mangroves caused by road, industrial and port infrastructure projects, and to protect this sensitive ecosystem to better fight against climate change.

For information, the mangrove forests of Gabon cover approximately 2500 km2 and provide invaluable ecosystem services to the local population. The province of the Estuary is home to the largest mangroves in the world which can reach up to 60 meters.

MEF/MTM