Summer 2024 Quarterly Update from West Africa Blue
July 31, 2024
Welcome to West Africa Blue’s Summer 2024 update! From exciting biodiversity discoveries to key project milestones, the summer has been full of progress as we continue to work toward our mission of mangrove restoration and community engagement.
Key Updates from Sierra Leone:
Partnership with DFC: We are pleased to announce that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is supporting West Africa Blue's project in the Sherbro River Estuary (SRE) with $10 million USD in political risk insurance. This pioneering collaboration will help advance risk mitigation models for blue carbon projects.
Biodiversity Discovery: During a recent investor trip to the SRE, we spotted a pod of critically endangered Atlantic humpback dolphins, marking the first confirmed sighting of this species in Sierra Leone. The Consortium for the Conservation of Atlantic Humpback Dolphin has verified this sighting, which strengthens our biodiversity conservation efforts.
Community and Project Engagement: West Africa Blue has been working closely with local communities to implement sustainable solutions, including building over 1,500 efficient cookstoves, planting woodlots to combat deforestation, and preparing oyster racks to scale up production at the end of the rainy season.
Guinea Project Highlights:
Soil and Carbon Analysis: Our team collected 700 soil samples in collaboration with the Guinea Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. These samples are currently being analyzed to measure carbon content, contributing valuable data to our ongoing conservation efforts.
Community Socioeconomic Insights: A socioeconomic survey revealed the heavy reliance on rice and salt production in local communities, alongside growing concerns over flooding and environmental degradation. These findings highlight the urgent need for mangrove restoration and conservation.
Living Labs Initiative: Our Living Labs initiative has officially launched! We’re excited to share the first publication—Mangrove Assessment Methodology. This comprehensive toolkit provides key lessons and strategies for mangrove extent and deforestation analysis, carbon analysis, and guidance on field data collection.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue our work in West Africa, and don’t forget to check out our latest resources on our Living Labs page!