Mangrove planting and restoration in Madagascar

Images courtesy of Eden Reforestation Projects.

HUMANITY

1. Employs locals to plant trees.

2. Mangroves protect coastal communities.

LAND

1. A habitat for many endemic land species.

2. Protects against coastal erosion.

AIR

1. Mangrove ecosystems are incredible carbon sinks.

2. Deep root systems draw carbon down into the earth.

OCEAN

1. Mangroves provide diverse marine ecosystems.

2. Mangroves purify water, reducing pollution.

The money we invest in this project goes directly to the local communities doing the mangrove planting. This not only plants the trees but also provides the basis for economic stability. The project works with the poorest and most vulnerable communities of a poor country, Madagascar is ranked 164th out of 189 countries on the UN Planetary Pressure adjusted Human Development Index. Mangrove forests also provide a sustainable source of food in the long-term, further incentivising local communities' involvement.

Mangroves are essential coastal ecosystems that provide a barrier between the ocean and the land. This protects coastal communities from the worst tidal surges and mediates the negative effects of sea level rise. Their dense roots also serve as an anchor for the soil, stopping coastal erosion which is washing away the land of the deforested areas of Madagascar's coast.

Mangrove reforestation has excellent carbon sequestration potential. Mangroves can sequester carbon at a rate 4-5x greater than a mature tropical forest and are one of the most carbon dense ecosystems. This project however does not provide carbon credits and we therefore don't count it in our offset calculation. Rather we love the approach that Eden take to accounting for the carbon these mangroves will sequester over their lifetimes that, rest assured, is a large number.

Mangrove ecosystems are also safe havens for great biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial. The project therefore scores highly on our assessment of the benefits to biodiverse ecosystems. 75% of the species in Madagascar are not found elsewhere on the planet, further boosting the score.

Eden Reforestation Projects have a high seedling survival rate of over 80% (which is even higher when natural regeneration is accounted for). Many reforestation and afforestation projects suffer in this regard, simply planting the trees and moving on, leaving many to die and failing to achieve the carbon goals of the project. We like the fact that Eden have worked hard to make sure their trees grow well into maturity, maximising their benefits over the course of their lifetimes.