IUCN and Blue Forest now aim to work towards the sustainable development and biodiversity conservation of mangrove forests in Mozambique and the MOU is designed to restore and preserve extensive tracts of mangrove forest financed through carbon credits. The majority of the net income generated over the multi-year project will be channelled to the local communities.
The announcement was made at an event, co-hosted by IUCN and Blue Forest, together with the Government of Seychelles, Danny Faure Foundation, UNECA, Nekton, WIOMSA and the UN COP27 High-Level Climate Champions team, held alongside the 2022 United Nation’s Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
According to Blue Forest, the MOU “heralds a substantial mangrove reforestation programme as both a key defensive and profitable approach to tackle the many issues affecting the vast and sensitive area and additionally forms part of the Western Indian Ocean Resilience & Prosperity Initiative (WIO RPI)”.
IUCN director general, Dr Bruno Oberle, commented in a press release: “Political leadership and financial support can be the catalyst for a self-sustaining regenerative blue economy that will empower the Western Indian Ocean region and its people. We’re actively seeking partnership initiatives such as the collaboration with Blue Forest that will scale up ocean-based action, helping manage, protect, conserve and restore marine and coastal ecosystems, making fisheries sustainable and providing access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets.”
Vahid Fotuhi, founder and CEO of Blue Forest, specialists in mangrove reforestation partnerships said: “This MOU is a watershed moment for us, coming as it does on the back of significant success in reforestation projects in Eastern and Southern Africa, in Mozambique and Kenya. In Mozambique, our starter project is already restoring and preserving 185,000 hectares, alongside much sustainable job creation. These projects are just the start of an ambitious plan to truly reforest mangroves around the world, to restore balance to the environment and the communities which rely on the ecosystems there.”
