Gambia: Mangrove forests protect coastal communities
The National Environment Agency (NEA) is implementing the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) Least Developed Countries Development Funds (LCDF) Project “Enhancing Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Areas and Communities to Climate Change in the Republic of The Gambia”.
The objective of the project is to reduce Gambia’s vulnerability to sea-level rise and associated impacts of climate change by improving coastal defenses and enhancing adaptive capacities of coastal communities.
The effect and impact of salt intrusion as a result of climate change seriously and continues to affect livelihood support systems of shoreline communities, making them vulnerable to poverty, hunger and food insecurity.
In some of these communities, mangroves and other forest species are dying at an alarming rate making access to fuel wood and aquatic species such as fishes and crabs very difficult to get.
CIFOR