As part of our efforts to celebrate the International Day of Forests, We the People organised a town hall meeting on March 21, 2024, in the Idundu community of Cross River state. The main objective of the meeting was to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves and emphasise the need to protect this vital ecosystem resource. The event also marked the beginning of We the People’s conservation and restoration initiative called the Community Participatory Mangrove Restoration Project (CoPMaRP). With a focus on the fishing communities in the Niger Delta, the project aims to provide support in restoring the mangrove forests that have been adversely affected by oil pollution and deforestation.
When compared to other tree species, mangroves offer a wide range of ecosystem services. These services include their crucial role in storing carbon to help combat climate change, preventing erosion, cycling nutrients, and providing a habitat for fish to spawn, among others. The depletion of these resources has a significant negative impact on coastal communities
The town hall meeting gathered experts in conservation from academia and civil society organisations. During his lead presentation, Professor Samuel Udo from the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology at the University of Cross River State emphasised the crucial role of mangroves in supporting ecosystems and maintaining climate equilibrium. He believes that if the mangroves in the coastal areas were still intact, they could have helped mitigate the current spate of heat being experienced in Nigeria. During his presentation titled Mangrove Forests and Innovation, Prof. Udo highlighted the importance of handling the forest with care and minimising the overall impact on the ecosystem. He also urged members of the community to wholeheartedly support the CoPMaRP project, which aims to revive the community’s lost forest heritage.
Additionally, addressing the event, Mr. Lawrence Peter, a conservationist, emphasised the significance of the environment in our lives and the urgency to safeguard it for the sake of a sustainable future on our planet.
The head of Idundu community, His Highness, Chief Effiom Ebanga, expressed his appreciation for the initiative and praised We The People for involving his community in the restoration project. He mentioned that there was a new discovery about the mangroves.
Another aspect of the CoPMaRP project involves establishing mangrove nurseries, engaging communities in replanting community mangrove forests, and utilising drones to monitor the progress of restoration projects.