Launch of the Guinea Bissau National Mangrove Alliance Chapter

On September 17, the Guinea Bissau National Chapter of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) was officially launched, marking a significant step towards the protection and restoration of the country’s mangrove ecosystems, which is essential for biodiversity, climate resilience, and the well-being of coastal communities. The chapter was inaugurated by Mr. Viriato Luís Soares Cassamá from the Ministry of Environment, Biodiversity, and Climate Action of Guinea-Bissau.

As a national representative of the GMA, this chapter is dedicated to halting mangrove loss, enhancing protection efforts, and promoting science-based restoration of mangrove ecosystems across Guinea Bissau. National Chapters like this play a crucial role in achieving the GMA’s global goals of stopping mangrove deforestation, restoring 50% of mangrove ecosystems, and doubling their protection. By engaging national and local stakeholders, this new chapter will play a vital role in aligning Guinea Bissau with the broader goals of the Global Mangrove Alliance, helping protect one of the world’s most important coastal ecosystems.

This launch is seen as a critical milestone in fostering collaboration among local, national, and global partners to achieve shared mangrove restoration and conservation goals. This chapter will leverage funding, scientific knowledge and best practices, data-driven strategies to address the challenges facing mangroves and coordinated action for mangrove management.

The Guinea Bissau chapter will operate under the existing National Mangrove Landscape Platform (PLANTA), an initiative that brings together key public sector and civil society actors working on mangroves. PLANTA has been working on the wide adoption and replication of mangrove restoration best practices in Guinea-Bissau, by reinforcing the capacity of national and regional stakeholders to implement Ecological Mangrove Restoration and make use of global mangrove monitoring tools such as the Global Mangrove Watch. The PLANTA platform has also designed a national mangrove restoration database and works to improve regulatory and management tools for mangrove ecosystems in Guinea Bissau. The proposed law on mangroves and the national strategy for mangrove conservation and restoration will reinforce mangrove protection in Guinea Bissau, and promote best practices for mangrove restoration.

While small on a map, Guinea Bissau is one of the most sizeable mangrove countries in the world. Providing countless species of fish and other resources, the mangroves are a lifeline to virtually all inhabitants of Guinea Bissau. Its coasts also support the second largest concentration of migratory water birds in Africa, sea-dwelling hippos and threatened species such as manatees and turtles.

The official launch took place during a workshop organized by Wetlands International, with support from Conservation International (CI) and the Woka Foundation. During the event, stakeholders discussed the next steps for establishing governance and developing a work plan for the chapter, ensuring it can contribute effectively to the national objectives for mangrove conservation and restoration.

Guinea Bissau also recently signed on to the Mangrove Breakthrough, a framework for State and non-State Actors to work together towards a global science based target of securing the future of over 15 million hectares of mangroves globally by 2030, underpinned by $4bn of sustainable finance, in support of the Paris agreement and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Launch of the Guinea Bissau National GMA Chapter