Mangrove Restoration - Regional Workshop and Scientific Symposium

Media Release

Monday, February 28, 2022 — The Mangrove Restoration as a Nature-based Solution for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean Regional Workshop and Scientific Symposium will share new science, examples, and lessons learned from the implementation of mangrove restoration in the Caribbean, with a view to highlighting post-disaster restoration initiatives in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma. The workshop objectives include:

sharing new scientific developments, in both ecosystem assessment and in mangrove management and restoration practises, including nursery and planting techniques, specific to Caribbean island contexts;
highlighting lessons learned and results of the collaborative restoration work in the British Virgin Islands; and
accelerating the uptake, resourcing and implementation of Caribbean mangrove restoration, harnessing the best of science and nature.

This event is organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), British Virgin Islands (BVI) Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Coastal Habitat Restoration Team (CHRT), Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society (JVDPS), the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), and the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA), and is supported by The Darwin Initiative.

Dates and Times

DAY 1 (Tuesday 1 March 2022, 3 hours total): Nature-based Solutions through Mangrove Restoration in the Caribbean

DAY 2 (Wednesday 2 March 2022, 2.5 hours total): Best Practises and Scientific developments on mangrove restoration and rehabilitation

DAY 3 (Thursday 3 March 2022, 3 hours total): Accelerating mangrove management and restoration in the Caribbean

Anticipated outcomes of this event include:

sharing scientific best practises and techniques for mangrove restoration in Caribbean island contexts;
promoting new long-term resourcing and financing mechanisms for the protection and restoration of mangrove ecosystems in the Caribbean; and
building new partnerships among national, regional, and global actors.

Mangrove ecosystems play a vital role in the Caribbean by providing a multitude of ecosystem services such as prevention of coastal erosion, protection from wave energy and storm surges, carbon storage, water filtration, and key nursery habitat for many local and commercial fisheries. Post-hurricane damage also has the potential to impact tourism by affecting the natural beauty of coastal ecosystems and beaches in addition to decreasing water quality and impacting fisheries. Mangroves not only directly benefit the communities who live near them, but also local and national economies.

The climate crisis is both leading to increased incidence of natural disasters and exacerbating their impacts. Low-lying islands, including those in the Caribbean, are particularly vulnerable to these effects. However, the restoration and sustainable management of natural ecosystems (also known as ecosystem-based adaptation) can increase resilience to climate change at both local and national scales.

Investment in these Nature-based Solutions —from reforestation to natural barriers that protect coastal communities from sea-level rise and storm surge—is key to delivering sustainable growth that addresses climate change and its impacts. To unleash its full potential, nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and risk reduction need to be integrated in the planning, design and implementation of projects for the replication and up-scaling of proven practices.

The OECS, through its Environmental Sustainability Division, is actively implementing Regional programmes for environmental protection and preservation in its Member States. In 2020, with support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group, the OECS prepared a Building Resilience with Nature and Gender in the Eastern Caribbean Toolkit to mainstream Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA), Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in the Eastern Caribbean. The toolkit brings together relevant methods and resources to help its users easily access, understand, and adopt EbA principles in climate change adaptation while integrating Gender Equality and Social Integration and Social Inclusion (GESI) into their development practices at both national and regional scales.

On February 2, 2022, in recognition of World Wetlands Day, the OECS Environmental Sustainability Division created a short video documentary to bring awareness to the importance of mangrove forests and the need to conserve them.