Indian Ocean Mangrove Restoration

Mozambique’s coastline was once home to expansive mangrove forests and estuaries, many of which have been severely degraded due to deforestation and human activity. Our initiative, launched in 2018, works closely with local communities to restore and protect these fragile ecosystems.

We began with two planting sites near Maputo, and have since expanded to several additional mangrove and terrestrial sites, including operations in Beira, in the central region of the country. Through this work, we aim to protect coastal areas from environmental disasters, enhance fishery productivity, increase biodiversity, sequester carbon, and support poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment.

One of our key restoration sites, Djabissa, is located south of Maputo along a major estuarine channel flowing into Maputo Bay. Prior to our project, the mangrove forests here were heavily impacted by charcoal production and wood harvesting for domestic use. Today, our team — composed of local community members — is actively replanting native mangrove species such as Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza to help bring this vital ecosystem back to life.