The Bahamas Mangrove Alliance (BMA) proudly represented The Bahamas at the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) National Chapters Workshop, held in Senegal in October 2024. This significant gathering, the first of its kind, brought together country chapters and partners from across the globe, including BMA, to collaborate on advancing mangrove conservation at national and international levels, demonstrating the global impact of our local efforts in The Bahamas.
Nina Sanchez of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust represented the BMA at the workshop, together with Olivia Patterson-Maura of BMA partner organization Friends of the Environment. They shared Bahamian insights and experiences with 15 other GMA chapters worldwide, focusing on the successes and challenges of local mangrove conservation efforts.
“The opportunity to connect with GMA country chapters from around the world has been incredibly inspiring,” said Sanchez, BTT Bahamas Initiative Coordinator. “By sharing and learning from other leaders engaged in national mangrove restoration, we’re identifying solutions that will shape the future of mangrove conservation efforts in the Bahamas. This collaboration not only enhances our local initiatives but also aligns with recent UN COP commitments to protect and restore vital ecosystems, reinforcing our collective effort against climate change.”
BTT launched its five-year-long Bahamas Mangrove Restoration Project in 2020, working with local partners to help jump-start the natural recovery of mangrove forests destroyed in prime bonefish habitat across the Northern Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. BTT will plant its 100,000th mangrove in December, 2024, marking a significant milestone even as the project’s scope continues to expand. BTT is a founding member of The Bahamas Mangrove Alliance, which launched on Earth Day 2023. The BMA has set a goal to plant one million trees by the end of 2025. BTT and partners also continue working to expand protections for mangroves nationwide in The Bahamas.
The BMA joined the Global Mangrove Alliance on Earth Day 2024. The GMA is committed to ambitious 2030 goals: halting the loss of mangrove forests, protecting at-risk mangrove habitats, and restoring 50% of the world’s mangroves that have been lost since 1996. The recent GMA workshop in Senegal provided a critical platform for sharing knowledge, strategies, and solutions to common challenges facing mangrove ecosystems.
The work done at the GMA workshop was particularly imperative in light of recent Biodiversity COP16 held in Cali, Colombia, where significant discussions and calls for action emphasized the urgency of conserving biodiversity-rich ecosystems, including mangroves. Mangroves, as vital coastal ecosystems, were highlighted in the context of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), with calls for increased funding from wealthier nations to support developing countries, which house much of the world’s biodiversity, in achieving these ambitious conservation targets. Additionally, the UN and other organizations stressed the importance of involving local actors, such as the BMA, in these initiatives underscoring that traditional knowledge and community stewardship are invaluable to protecting ecosystems such as mangroves.
“Strengthening our mangrove restoration and networking efforts in the Bahamas is more crucial than ever,” said Rashema Ingraham, BTT’s Caribbean Program Director. “The decisions made at global conferences including biodiversity COP16 and upcoming climate COP29 have the potential to significantly influence the funding opportunities and expansion of our restoration work. Global commitments from these pivotal conferences can unlock new resources and partnerships, allowing us to scale up our initiatives. So the GMA support is essential for enhancing the resilience of our coastal ecosystems and combating the impacts of climate change on our communities.”
At the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan this month, mangrove conservation and restoration are expected to be significant topics of discussion. The Mangrove Breakthrough initiative, launched in 2022, aims to protect 15 million hectares of mangrove forests by 2030 and has been endorsed by over 29 governments as of September 2024. The initiative seeks to unlock $4 billion in funding to accelerate action for the conservation and restoration of these vital ecosystems.
BTT’s mangrove restoration efforts and convening role in the BMA are generously supported by the Moore Bahamas Foundation, Builders Initiative and Only One, among others.
