Restoring mangrove forests in Mbanja, Tanzania

Environmental Conservation Community of Tanzania is restoring degraded mangrove ecosystems in southern Tanzania to strengthen coastal resilience, protect biodiversity, and support communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems for their livelihoods. Our current restoration work focuses on Mbanja Village in Lindi, where mangrove forests are increasingly threatened by salt pan expansion, unsustainable harvesting of mangrove trees for fuel and construction, and coastal waste pollution.

These pressures have contributed to the degradation of fish breeding habitats, increased coastal erosion, and reduced natural protection against storms and climate-related impacts. Local fishing communities are already experiencing declining fish catches and growing environmental vulnerability as mangrove coverage continues to decrease.

To address this challenge, we are implementing community-supported mangrove restoration using Assisted Natural Regeneration, targeted enrichment planting, coastal clean-up activities, and ecosystem protection measures involving youth groups, fishers, and Beach Management Units (BMUs). Our approach focuses not only on restoring degraded areas, but also on protecting existing mangrove ecosystems and strengthening long-term local stewardship.

To date, we have contributed to the restoration and recovery of approximately 15 hectares of degraded coastal ecosystem across multiple restoration sites in southern Tanzania. These efforts support shoreline stabilization, recovery of fish nursery habitats, improvement of coastal biodiversity, and climate change mitigation through blue carbon restoration. Based on conservative global estimates, the restored mangrove areas have the potential to sequester approximately 120 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Funding support will help us establish community mangrove nurseries, strengthen ecosystem monitoring systems, expand restoration activities in degraded coastal areas, and improve coordination with BMUs and local communities to ensure long-term protection of restored mangrove ecosystems.