By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY, Cape Coast
The country has lost more than 20 percent of its mangrove forest cover in the last two decades.
The alarming decline is fuelling concerns over weakened coastal resilience, climate stability and erosion of livelihoods dependent on these vital ecosystems.
In 2000, the country’s mangrove cover was estimated at just over 14,000 hectares. But by 2022 that figure had fallen to under 11,000 hectares, with environmental experts warning that the rate of degradation is accelerating faster than previously thought.
The decline, they say, is being driven by a combination of human and environmental pressures – including clearing for settlements and infrastructure, over-harvesting for fish smoking and the growing impacts of climate change.
Human pressure and climate impact
In an interview with Business & Financial Times (B&FT) on the sidelines of a workshop organised by Journalists for Responsible Fisheries and Environment (JRFE) at Cape Coast in the Central Region on ‘Mangrove Assessment Results’, Stephen Kankam, Deputy Director of Hen Mpoano, explained that: “Mangroves, typically found where rivers meet the sea, are under increasing threat from urban expansion and resource exploitation”.
“In many coastal fishing communities, mangrove wood is widely used as a fuel source for fish processing; placing further stress on an already fragile ecosystem,” he said.
He also noted that rising sea levels caused by climate change are compounding the problem. “Mangroves are resilient, but only up to a point.”
Restoration on the rise in Western Region
He said amid these challenges efforts to restore mangrove habitats are gaining ground, particularly in the Western Region.
At Ankobra Estuary within the Greater Amanzule Landscape, large-scale community restoration work is underway.
He pointed out that in Yemfiano – a restoration site supported by local and conservation partners – more than 100 hectares of degraded mangroves have been successfully rehabilitated, with ongoing planting and monitoring activities still in progress.
“These restored areas are already showing signs of ecological recovery – with returning fish stocks, crab populations and improved water quality,” he added
The need for national action
Mr. Kankam said while local efforts are commendable, reversing the national decline in mangroves will require a more coordinated and well-funded approach.
This, he said, includes stricter enforcement of conservation laws, investment in sustainable alternatives for coastal communities and integration of mangrove protection into national climate adaptation strategies.
“Mangroves are not just trees – they are nature’s coastal insurance policy. Losing them means more than losing biodiversity; it means exposing communities to erosion, flooding and collapse of fisheries they depend on” Mr. Kankam concluded.
