Mangrove Guardians: Women's Fight for The Gambia's Coast

Fatou Jarjue, a Gambian mother, now dedicates her time to restoring the Tanbi Wetland mangroves, an ecosystem that has sustained her family for generations. While women traditionally harvest oysters, crabs, and fish from these mangroves, Jarjue has become a guardian, planting over 5,000 seedlings to combat coastal erosion and flooding.

This restoration work is crucial as The Gambia faces rising sea levels and increasingly severe weather events. Jarjue's efforts, alongside other women in her community, strengthen the natural defenses of settlements like Ndangan and the capital city, Banjul.

Marine scientist Dawda Saine explains that the temporary closure of oyster harvesting during the rainy season is not due to toxicity but to allow oyster stocks to regenerate and to prevent the filtering of potentially contaminated rainwater run-off, ensuring both ecosystem health and consumer safety.

The resilience of Banjul, The Gambia's island capital, is intrinsically tied to the health of its mangrove ecosystem. Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe emphasizes that the disappearance of these mangroves would threaten the city's very existence, highlighting the importance of supporting initiatives like Jarjue's.

Despite challenges such as unreliable electricity for preserving harvests, women like Jarjue continue their vital work, viewing each new mangrove seedling as an investment in a more secure future for their families and for a capital city increasingly vulnerable to rising seas.