How Gambian women are restoring the mangroves protecting Banjul

What the report says

Women in Ndangan, a settlement near Banjul in The Gambia, are restoring mangroves in the Tanbi Wetland while also relying on them for food and income, according to Al Jazeera. The report centers on Fatou Jarjue, who harvests crabs and oysters and says she has restored more than 5,000 mangroves since last year. Other women in the community, including Sussan Colley, also collect oysters, fish and crabs and say the wetland’s recovery has improved catches and livelihoods.

The article explains that mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that help limit erosion and flooding, while supporting shellfish and fish stocks. Jarjue and other women were trained through a local conservation initiative to plant seedlings, replace damaged trees and monitor degraded areas. The story also notes that oyster harvesting pauses during the rainy season under The Gambia’s co-management plan, allowing stocks to recover and reducing pressure on the resource. A marine scientist quoted by Al Jazeera said the closure is meant to protect oysters and water quality, not because the shellfish are poisonous.

The reporting places this work in a wider climate context. Banjul is a low-lying island capital facing sea-level rise, flooding and coastal erosion, and the mayor says the city’s future is tied to the survival of mangroves. Al Jazeera says severe flooding in 2022 highlighted the coast’s vulnerability. The women’s restoration work is presented as both a livelihood strategy and a form of local climate resilience.