Mangroves of western and central Africa

Abstract

There is an international consensus, expressed in the Convention on Biological Diversity, World Summit on Sustainable Development, and Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, that biodiversity at all levels – genetic, species and ecosystem – have a critical role in sustaining livelihoods and human development. They underpin and make possible all forms of economic activity. Damage to components of biodiversity have economic consequences, the impacts of which fall most heavily on the poor. In few contexts is this as clear as in the case of mangrove ecosystems and their dependent human populations. Mangroves support livelihoods in providing habitat for food species, timber for dwellings, cooking and heat, and many other subsistence and commercial activities. Mangroves also provide protection of the coastline from erosion and storm surges. The roles of mangroves are now being realised, but only as the general trend for this valuable habitat is decline. The first global attempt to document the status of the mangrove resource, the World Mangrove Atlas, was published in 1997 by the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME), financed by ITTO and in partnership with UNEP-WCMC. The information for Africa was updated by UNEP-WCMC in the publication Mangroves of East Africa (2003). This report provides a profile for the 19 countries of the region from Mauritania south to Angola. It presents new information on the distribution of these habitats and highlights the importance of mangroves of west and central Africa in the regional and global context. It serves to illustrate the benefits human communities derive from the wide range of goods and services provided by mangroves, which are valued at up to US$ 900 000 per year. The region is in a time of rapid change, with many challenges and opportunities, some of the highest levels of poverty in the world, a population aspiring for change, and strong interest from extractive industries in the region. Policy-makers have some difficult choices ahead as to how to manage their natural resources. It is vital that they can be provided with the most up-to-date information available. It is hoped that this publication can contribute to fulfilling their information needs for considering the future management of mangrove ecosystems in the region. Although there is considerable work being undertaken to research this habitat at the national, regional and global levels, there are still significant gaps in information, and a need for continued efforts to improve assessment of West and Central African mangrove habitats. The data produced and presented here represents the best data available today. For this reason, it is critical that it is accessible by stakeholders in the region, and can contribute to informing decisions regarding the use of mangrove ecosystems. The report will be made available as a printed report, online as a pdf and will also be made available as a contribution to the revised World Atlas of Mangroves, being undertaken by a partnership between ISME, ITTO, FAO, UNEP-WCMC, UNUINWEH and UNESCO-MAB. UNEP-WCMC spatial data ; Government of Ireland, the Government of Belgium, WWF, the global conservation organization ; Published ; ecosystem assessment ; biodiversity ; habitats ; livelihoods