• 1 12 beneficiaries

  • 10 tCO2 captured per year

  • 1,1 ha of mangroves planted

Sustainable Agriculture And Forestry

Beninese farmers and fishers

Funded by carbon offsetting

Environmental sponsorship

Finding alternatives to traditional felling practices and restoring natural resources is a prerequisite for sustainably improving living conditions for populations.

One of the principles of successful reforestation is making local communities contributors to and leaders of the project. Within this framework, raising awareness among the populations surrounding the lake of the issue of protecting natural resources – mangroves, plant cover and fish stocks – is crucial. This component is part of the education and conservation programme already in place with Eco-Bénin in some communities.

Context

In the Lake Ahémé area in southwest Benin, there is significant erosion in the northern part of the lake and mainly in the villages on the hillsides. Soil erosion in the watersheds and the collapse of often steep banks are causing Lake Ahémé to fill.

This situation has led to loss of soil fertility and an unprecedented fall in fishery production as well as the disappearance of several fish species. The local population, mainly composed of fishers, are thus confronted with economic difficulties.

Along the Aho Channel and the coastal lagoon, between the towns of Ouidah and Cotonou, human activities (use of mangrove trees, soil stripping, etc.) place enormous pressure on mangroves which no longer play their role as a bulwark against the swell and storms.

Impacts

Environmental impacts

  • Growth of forest cover
  • Reduced soil erosion
  • Slow the filling of Lake Ahémé
  • Reduced pressure on natural resources from populations
  • Habitat reconstruction for fish populations
  • Combat climate change through carbon storage

Socio-economic impacts

  • Increased and diversified income for lakeside populations in the medium and long term (particularly women)
  • Creation of seasonal jobs for local populations
  • Creation of new economic activities: fuelwood production initiatives
  • Improved and sustainable access to food supplies
  • Capacities strengthened for lakeside populations in terms of the conservation and reforestation of mangroves and sloping areas in the forest biomass

Achievements

The results at the end of the project were as follows:

  • 2,640 people made aware of the importance of mangroves in their environment
  • 141 people took part in mangrove planting after training
  • 68 people of which 59 women benefited from a micro-credit scheme to develop income-generating activities
  • 41.5 hectares of mangroves planted
  • 20.5 hectares of fuelwood planted
  • 498 tonnes of CO2 sequested per year
  • 15 planters trained in rearing techniques
  • 90 fishers trained in nursery techniques

GoodPlanet oversaw the supervision and the evaluation of the project benefits in terms of greenhouse gas reduction. The evaluation was based on the results of the study carried out by Eco-Bénin in 2011 on the quantity of CO2 stored by mangrove trees in the 3 project zones. Data collection was extended as part of the project to improve or confirm these results.

An estimate of the potential project impact in terms of climate change mitigation was calculated by Eco-Bénin in December 2012.

Photo credits: Benin Ecotourism Concern, GoodPlanet Foundation

Operational partner

    ECO BENIN