Mangroves have always been an important part of the Guyanese Ecosystem. Its value as a waterbreak against the ocean was immediately recognised by the early Dutch settlers of the 16th and 17th centuries since they had come from a country that waged a continuous struggle to keep the sea  from inundating their land.  Subsequent colonisers and settlers, though they recognised the value of mangroves, were rather nonchalant about them, and sometimes villagers who lived on the coast would cut down mangroves for firewood,

With the increasing knowledge of ecology over the last two or three decades, the population has become aware of the value and importance of mangroves. But oddly, it was only within the last two years when the issue became politicised that the population became emotionally committed to saving the mangroves:  The pipeline that would be bringing gas from the offshore oil wells to the installations on West Bank Demerara would necessitate the clearing away of some mangrove, and this opened the way for the Opposition parties to raise an outcry against the destruction of mangroves.  All the political parties committed themselves to protect mangroves and their supporters learnt how valuable these trees were.

Mangroves are trees and shrubs which grow along the coastline.  Their long roots go deep into the earth and, as such, are not easily uprooted.  They, therefore, provide a natural sea defence, prevent soil erosion and facilitate soil deposits from the sea that eventually create land.  In addition, they provide convenient nesting places for fish and crabs, flowers on which the beekeepers’ bees could feed and are an ecotourist attraction.

The Minister of Agriculture Hon Zulfikar Mustapha in his message on the occasion of International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems on July 26 last, sums up the value of mangroves to Guyana: “Mangrove Ecosystems play an important role in the flood protection of vulnerable coastal communities.  They also provide important ecosystem services such as maintenance of fisheries, coastal biodiversity, livelihoods and food security.  In Guyana, the mangrove ecosystem provides a range of services to local communities. These include fisherfolk, farmers, beekeepers, coastal ecotourism operators and indigenous communities”.

Mangrove plays an important role in combating climate change since they lessen the effects of rising sea levels and reduce the effects of global warming by removing carbon from the atmosphere, linking them with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

In 2010, the Government entrusted the Mangrove Restoration Project to the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) with Ms Kene Moseley as Project Coordinator.  So far, the Project has been responsible for the restoration of 500 hectares of mangrove.  This year $51. millions have been committed to the capital programme to support the construction of rock and geotextile tube groynes and completion of topographic surveys to monitor the shoreline elevation of Regions two and four.

The mangrove protection and restoration programme will be a success since the Government is fully committed to it and the population are more aware than formerly of its importance.