How mangrove rehabilitation can save a community’s future

What can you do when the resources that pay you stop growing back? That’s the question asked by residents in Agbledomi, a coastal community in the Volta region of Ghana. 

Mangroves are environmental heavy hitters – they sequester carbon, prevent coastal erosion and contribute to biodiversity in intertidal areas. But they’re also an important part of the community’s economy after the construction of the Akosombo dam reduced fish populations. And overharvesting is threatening them. But a Community Resource Management Area model led by community members like Major Kamasah and Gabriel Ahianyo is providing a path to sustainability. 

They and other community members are actively involved in planting mangroves – some to restore the estuary, others for the promise of an economic future for them and their children. They highlight the intertwined relationship between environmental conservation, community development, and social equity, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to address climate change impacts effectively.

This episode was produced by Morgana Abdy and edited by Tara Sprickerhoff. 

For a complete transcript, photos and other stories about Agbledomi, visit farmradio.org/mangrove-rehabilitation/

More about Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet at farmradio.org/natureanswers

This is a Farm Radio International podcast produced thanks to funding from the Government of Canada.