Mangroves and livelihoods in Guinea-Bissau

Photographer’s comment: “Tropical mangrove forest ecosystems are considered one of the most important carbon reservoirs on Earth and are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world forming forests of salt-tolerant tree and shrub species, with complex food webs and dynamics. Guinea-Bissau is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, with roughly 75 % of the population living in rural areas directly dependent on natural resources for their living. On the Atlantic coast of Africa, Guinea-Bissau has the second largest mangrove area (after Nigeria) comprising about 8 % of the national territory. Almost 80 % of its population resides in the coastal zone where most economic activity is concentrated, and depend directly on mangrove forests for fish and wood collection. The Tchor family and its three generations of fishermen are an example of how important mangroves are to the livelihoods of these coastal communities as they clearly depend on the this rich and amazing ecosystem.”

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