Accelerating mangrove restoration: Global Mangrove Alliance national chapters

The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) is an unprecedented collaboration that brings together NGOs, governments, industry, local communities and funders to save and restore mangrove ecosystems globally. National stakeholders are the catalyst in implementing improved management, conservation, and restoration of their ecosystems and the services they provide to coastal communities. The GMA is working with local entities to establish GMA national chapter, which bring together GMA members and other local groups engaged in mangrove conservation and restoration. Chapters facilitate coordination between different actors under a neutral banner which helps connect the broader GMA goals to more targeted local contexts. To date, 13 GMA national chapters have formally established in distributed throughout the Americas, Africa, and Asia, with many more countries and regions are showing interest.

National chapters are supported by the wider GMA community via a range of open access tools, guidelines, trainings, and knowledge sharing opportunities. Through co-development we have produced best practices and implementation guidelines; open access tools including the Global Mangrove Watch and the Mangrove Restoration Tracker Tool to help in the design and monitoring of mangrove management interventions; alternative livelihoods toolboxes; policy briefs that link mangroves to national and international policy frameworks and agreements; and a community of practice linking experiences with other national chapters, and knowledge exchanges. The GMA is a conduit to member organizations and national chapters to a  global network of leading mangrove scientists and specialists that can provide technical expertise and assistance in the development of regional strategies and plans for mangrove management, conservation, and restoration. In addition to receiving alerts on project financing opportunities with the potential to leverage existing projects and up-scale.

These collaborative actions have produced a number of success stories around the world. For example, the Ecuador Chapter launched a large Green Climate Fund project that engages local communities and the private sector in the restoration and sustainable management of mangrove areas. The project will increase the adaptive capacity and resilience of coastal communities, benefiting 89,600 people, through integrated management and restoration that increases the area, ecosystem health, and sustainable use of mangroves. The GMA received the Food Planet Prize, from which the Indonesian national chapter was awarded $1m to expand mangrove restoration to a total of 170ha across South Sumatra, Riau, West Java, and North Kalimantan. This is being conducted in partnership with 11 community groups, which will continue policy dialogues and capacity building at the national level. The aim of the project is to increase in natural regeneration by 40% and boost in shrimp pond productivity by 20%. The project will manage ~27,000 ha of pristine mangroves across multiple regions, aiming to increase mangrove canopy cover and improve livelihoods of coastal communities through the development of six new sustainable economic activities. As the wider GMA community and GMA national chapters carry this momentum forward significant steps towards the ambitious goal are being achieved, which will provide benefits to both people and nature.