Mangrove Communities in Rufiji Delta trained on an alternative approach to mangrove restoration
Mangrove restoration is not just planting one or two mangrove species in straight lines – it’s much more complex than that. To demystify this, the Mangrove Action Project and Wetlands International undertook a Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) training for 28 participants in Kibiti, Rufiji Delta, Tanzania. All too frequently, restoration projects move straight into building a mangrove nursery and planting before understanding the issues related to the project site. These projects often fail. CBEMR supports a holistic, science-based approach that encourages practitioners to mitigate mangrove stressors and facilitate natural mangrove regeneration. This is achieved by working with the local communities to understand all social and technical challenges affecting the restoration site, including site hydrology, soil elevation relative to sea level, pressures on the mangroves and why a site is not naturally regenerating. This training was facilitated by Mangrove Capital Africa project which is led by Wetlands International and funded by DOB Ecology
