Ivory Coast project restores mangroves to protect coastal areas
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In Côte d’Ivoire, the Coastal Resilience Improvement Project restored 53 hectares of mangroves between Grand-Bassam and Jacqueville to protect lagoon edges and stabilize soil.
The project, a collaboration between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, works with local communities to plant and maintain the mangrove forests. Mouhamadou Diéné, the regional coordinator for ONU-Habitat, announced the progress during the third session of the project’s steering committee.
Local residents actively participate in the restoration by planting, securing, and watering the mangrove seedlings, which increases the program’s success rate. The project also builds infiltration and retention basins to reduce flood risks in communities, using vegetated areas instead of concrete drains. Dr. Luc Boerboom of the University of Twente in the Netherlands noted that economic activity concentrates in vulnerable coastal zones. Researchers identified a secondary corridor developing naturally that could relieve pressure on primary coastal areas.
The project, which began in 2024 and will end in 2026, aims to strengthen local adaptation capabilities and share best practices between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana to reduce the impact of climate change on coastal communities.
