WHILE rising sea levels are a constant threat to coastal communities and Guyana as a whole, the mangrove forest acts as a natural safeguard for the vulnerable lands that border the Atlantic Ocean.

Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow along the coast to act as a natural sea defence against waves, high tide and flooding.

But who protects the mangroves when they become threatened?

In 2010, the country embarked on a wide-ranging programme of restoration and preservation of the traditional mangrove forest. Spearheaded by the National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI), the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project seeks to create a barrier of mangrove forest and man-made seawalls to repel the Atlantic waves that threaten the coastline which is below sea level.

World Mangrove Day was celebrated on July 26 this year. In observance of this day, the Guyana Chronicle interviewed the Project Coordinator of Mangrove Restoration and Management at NAREI, Kene Moseley, who provided some insight into the importance of preserving and restoring these natural defenders.

“Over the years not just in Guyana but worldwide, we have had global losses in mangroves due to a number of things. One is because the coast is in such high demand for living,” Moseley said.

Because the most fertile soils are found along the country’s coastline, it is the country’s agriculture base. The mangroves help to protect the farmlands and residential areas.

Moseley explained to this publication that mangroves create a natural barrier that inhibits the effect of wave action thereby preventing coastal erosion and at the same time, facilitate soil deposits from the sea that can eventually create land.

However, over the years the natural barrier has weakened and in some cases were wiped out completely.

RESTORATION UNDERWAY
Despite the decrease at the beginning of the project in 2010, Guyana has recorded a total of 3300 hectares of mangrove over the last three years. This is due to the strides being made under the restoration project.

Moseley noted that the project not only requires officers from NAREI to do field work, but also a lot of teaching. Under the project, she said the agency has been able to reach out to many coastlanders, especially the fisherfolk and agriculture stakeholders.

She stressed that protecting mangroves is not just the agency’s business but it is something that all Guyanese should pay attention to.

“The thing we have to understand is as much as this is now NAREI’s responsibility…as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) slogan is the environment is everybody’s business, what happens affects us all at some point or the other.”

She noted that while many who live in the hinterland regions of the country are of the opinion that the rising sea levels and the depletion of mangroves do not affect them directly; it does.

“It is all connected; we are a large country but we are a coastal country. 90 per cent of our population is on the coast, our infrastructure is on the coast, our major constructions are on the coast. Any impact on the coast would have a ripple effect on the entire country,” she said.

Moseley added: “It’s all connected and we need to have the appreciation and services and understand that we all need to take part with regards to protecting.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVES
Outside of protecting 90 per cent of the country’s population from severe flooding, Moseley explained that mangroves play a key part in the food cycle and is the home to many marine species such as fishes and crabs.

Mangroves also play a key part in combating climate change. The link between climate change and mangroves is strong, since they not only lessen the effects of the rising sea level, but also reduce the effects of global warming by removing carbon from the atmosphere through sequestration.

Moseley further explained that mangroves are some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems as their complex root systems extend above and below the water line. Mangrove roots allow mangroves to prevent erosion to the coastline and provide habitats, nurseries and feeding grounds for an array of fishes and other aquatic organisms.