In the southeast African country of Mozambique we have funded the planting of 879,441 new mangroves on the shores of the Rio Tembe river. The low-lying river banks and shoreline of Maputo Bay have been dramatically deforested over the last few years as the growing population intensified logging for building materials and lucrative charcoal. There has been a significant loss of valuable mangroves along the river and coastline, leading to increased tidal erosion, reduced carbon absorption and the depletion of a critical ecosystem for fish.
Research has shown that mangroves can sequester four times more atmospheric carbon than tropical rainforests. When they are cut down, or baked into charcoal, this damaging carbon is released back into the atmosphere, creating more global warming.
Planting near the town of Bela Vista started in May 2020, after a local COVID-19 outbreak subsided. Mozambique has also experienced unusual weather patterns since cyclone Idai swept through the region in March 2019, creating significant damage and unpredictable tidal exchanges.
This mangrove reforestation project addresses not just the environmental needs along the Rio Tembe river, but also the urgent humanitarian needs of the local community. Our planting partner, Eden Reforestation Projects, directly hires and manages local staff from Bela Vista.
Through this project, an average of 84 working days a month were provided to people who previously had little or no income.
Having a steady income allows Eden workers to put savings aside, invest in their households, and provide healthcare for their families. Some positive socioeconomic impacts include improved diets and health due to purchasing nutritious food, paying for school fees, and sending children to school. Additionally, they can buy simple items that significantly improve their quality of life, such as beds, mattresses, solar panels, and radios.
All too often, poverty-stricken families are forced to cut down nearby forests to produce marketable goods to feed their families. By removing this need and providing a reliable income source, these families can then meet their primary needs and prepare for the future. By empowering the villagers through fair wages and employment, we have seen increased educational opportunities for their children, microbusinesses initiated by local planters, and increased women’s empowerment and leadership.
Our Mozambique mangroves are taking root and thriving. We’ll be planting many more in the months ahead. Our Bela Vista site has the capacity for at least 5.1 million mangroves, spaced out at a density of 10,000 trees per hectare.
Funding for this planting project is automatically created with every member action within Evergrow — our affordable employee engagement app that unifies recognition, rewards, savings, wellness and climate action for growing businesses. Evergrow makes work more meaningful, and your impact more powerful. The more that members use Evergrow, the more trees we can plant, enabling more CO2 to be removed from the atmosphere, reducing global warming.
