Mangroves against climate change - Features - Al-Ahram Weekly

Al-Ahram Weekly

17-07-2025

Egypt has been pioneering the propagation of mangrove forests to fight climate change and develop its blue and green economy.
Climate change is a major concern worldwide, and different countries are making efforts to adapt to its effects and mitigate its impacts. Egypt is highly vulnerable to climate change, as has been shown in rising temperatures, heat waves, the rise in the sea level, and dust storms, and it has been pioneering regional efforts to adapt as a result.
It is working on several projects to propagate mangrove forests along its coastlines as part of the fight against climate change and of the presidential initiative to grow 100 million trees. Various organisations have launched projects to expand mangrove forests along the Red Sea coasts in particular.
Mangrove plantations not only help to improve environmental conditions, due to their ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide, but they can also enhance the social and economic well-being of local communities. Mangrove trees grow in saltwater or in areas of low salinity. They thrive along tropical and subtropical shorelines, particularly in tidal zones. The oldest known fossils of mangroves date back to 75 million years ago, when the mangrove first appeared during the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene eras. It then spread due to the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.
One project focused on mangrove cultivation in Egypt was initiated by the Environment Without Borders Foundation headed by Adel Abdallah Suleiman. He said that the project is concerned with conserving and propagating mangrove trees in Wadi Al-Gemal (Valley of the Camels) in the Red Sea region.
'The project, which began in 2024 and runs until 2028 under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Environment, is in line with national efforts to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability as well as the principles of the blue economy,' Suleiman said.
'Leveraging the vital role of mangrove trees in carbon storage and climate change mitigation, the project will continue to generate revenues from carbon storage for 20 years, serving as a model for nature-based solutions. It also revives long-suspended conservation and propagation programmes, which had been halted due to limited resources at the Wadi Al-Gemal reserve.'
'The project adopts a modern scientific approach, utilising tissue culture techniques that promise high success rates and address the challenges that hindered previous propagation efforts,' Suleiman said.
'It is aligned with the goals of the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, which prioritises mitigating climate change impacts through sustainable, nature-based solutions. It also supports the objectives of the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2030 and the Biodiversity Finance Initiative. Expanding mangrove areas and leveraging green finance opportunities enhance ecosystem resilience and the absorption of the greenhouse gases that promote climate change.'
The Wadi Al-Gemal reserve is benefiting on multiple fronts from the project, with 2,000 people from the local community expected to participate in project activities. 'Mangroves are an important habitat for bees, which produce some of the world's finest honey, prized for its nutritional value, from mangrove forests. Apiaries have been established in the Wadi Al-Gemal forests, helping to create new job opportunities for local residents.'
As part of the project's efforts to rehabilitate and restore the area's mangrove ecosystems, '5,000 seedlings have been propagated in the reserve's greenhouse, in addition to 4,000 in collaboration with researchers from the Desert Research Centre. Some 8,000 seedlings have been planted at two sites in the vicinity of the reserve,' Suleiman said.
A 200-square-metre greenhouse has been rehabilitated to provide optimal conditions for seed germination, and agreements have been signed with three local groups, each consisting of 30 members, that are engaged in seed collection and planting under the supervision of specialists.
Suleiman said that a seed-collection programme was launched in collaboration with the reserve team, which involved diving into deep mangrove channels. Thus far, 7,000 seeds fit for planting have been collected. In addition, seeds were propagated in the greenhouse at Wadi Al-Gemal, with a survival rate of over 88 per cent.
'Planting efforts have been concentrated at four sites —Safaga, Hamata, Shalateen in the Red Sea governorate, and the Nabq Nature Reserve in the South Sinai governorate. These locations were selected to maximise the project's economic, environmental, and tourism benefits,' Suleiman said.
'Some 2,000 seedlings were planted at two of the four targeted sites, and an additional 6,000 were planted in the other two areas. The project targets planting 300,000 seedlings over the four years of its duration, covering a total area of 500 feddans,' he added.
BENEFITS OF MANGROVES: 'Mangroves are vital trees in many coastal environments. They serve as a natural barrier between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, protecting shorelines from wind, floods, and waves. They also play a key role in improving water quality by filtering pollutants, trapping sediments, and reducing coastal erosion,' said Sayed Khalifa, an expert in mangrove cultivation, head of the Agricultural Syndicate, and secretary-general of the Union of African Agricultural Engineers.
'Environmentally, mangroves provide critical habitats for a wide variety of species. Many coastal and marine fish and shellfish depend on mangrove ecosystems as key spawning and breeding grounds, benefiting from the trees' high salinity tolerance and the protection they offer,' Khalifa said.
'Mangrove forests are important to the economic and urban development projects taking place along the Red Sea and in the Gulf of Aqaba. They generate high economic returns, with ecotourism in mangrove reserves contributing an estimated $500 million annually,' he noted.
'But these trees are endangered the world over,' he added, stressing that it is important to monitor mangrove trees throughout their growth until they mature into forests.
These are 'productive and vital ecosystems whose impact extends beyond the areas they occupy. In Egypt, mangroves grow in limited zones along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, all of which have been designated as protected natural reserves,' Khalifa said.
'Expanding mangrove cultivation is key to adapting to climate change, safeguarding coastal zones from climate-related risks, and fostering social and economic stability. Egypt's mangrove forest projects align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Africa's Agenda 2063, and the objectives of the Global Environment Facility.'
Because of their capacity to store greenhouse gases and protect coastlines, offering four times the protection of tropical forests, Khalifa suggested launching a national campaign to plant more mangrove trees. President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has also instructed further planting to develop Egypt's green economy and protect its biodiversity, he added.
'Egypt is experiencing a success story in mangrove propagation and cultivation, thanks to rigorous scientific research. The country now boasts a new generation of young researchers, agricultural engineers, and technicians specialising in this field, many of whom are now being sought after by neighbouring countries for assistance in launching similar projects,' Khalifa stated.
The Arab-African Youth Forum for the Coastal Environment, held 12 times in Hurghada on the Red Sea, invites young people to participate in its activities, which include planting mangrove seedlings along the beaches of Safaga in the Red Sea governorate, said Mamdouh Rashwan, secretary-general of the Arab Union for Youth and the Environment.
'This and other activities are meant to promote ecotourism, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and encourage the expansion of sustainable tourism projects in the area,' he stated.
The forum is organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, the Arab League, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and coordinated by the Arab Union for Youth and the Environment.
Rashwan warned that rising temperatures associated with climate change have adversely affected mangrove growth and led to the degradation of several sites along the Red Sea coast. This, he said, necessitates coordinated efforts to rehabilitate and expand the mangrove forests.
In August, Egyptian, Arab, and African university students will resume planting mangrove seedlings during the 13th Arab-African Youth Forum for the Coastal Environment in Hurghada, he said, noting that Egypt is now positioned as a hub for training, propagation, and the regulation of mangrove-related economic activities across Africa and the Middle East.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Follow us on:
Facebook
Instagram
Whatsapp
Short link: