Coastal vegetated ecosystems such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows and salt marshes have long benefited coastal communities and fisheries, and in recent years have been recognized internationally for their significant capacity to sequester and store carbon (i.e. ‘blue carbon’) – at rates that surpass those of tropical forests.

The coast of West, Central and Southern Africa contains approximately 14 per cent of the world’s mangrove area, with the region’s most extensive mangroves located in Nigeria, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Gabon. Throughout the region, human occupation of mangroves and evidence of their multiple uses (for food, wood, building material, transport, etc.) are attested as far back as 5000 years ago.

This report explores the potential of international carbon finance mechanisms to help fund mangrove conservation along the coast of West, Central and Southern Africa that is covered by the Abidjan Convention – from the southern border of Mauritania down to the northern border of Angola – and the scale of economic benefits that this conservation might provide for communities and countries in the region. 

Tags: blue carbon coastal ecosystems conservation forests seagrass