Last updated: October 2024
In the bay of Fort-de-France, mangroves cover nearly 1,300 hectares, representing about 70% of the total mangrove area in Martinique. This plant formation, characteristic of tropical marine environments, is essential for the ecological balance of the bay. Mangroves act as filters, purifying marine and river waters, protecting the coastline against erosion, and providing habitat for various marine flora and fauna. However, this fragile ecosystem is threatened by wave-induced erosion, urbanization, the spread of invasive species, and pollution. In response to these challenges, the French Coastal Protection Agency (Conservatoire de l'espace littoral et des rivages lacustres, CELRL) and its partners have launched an initiative to restore several mangrove areas as part of the “Contrat de la Grande Baie de Martinique" which is a collaborative initiative aimed at the sustainable management and restoration of the coastal and marine environment of the Greater Bay of Martinique. This contract typically involves partnerships between various stakeholders, including government agencies, local municipalities, environmental organizations, and community groups. The project identified several sites totaling 3.81 hectares in the Greater Bay area that require reclamation. The project aims to restore mangrove populations by creating favorable conditions through actions such as clearing invasive species and trash, followed by replanting with white, black, or red mangrove seedlings, depending on the environmental characteristics of each site. Additionally, the initiative seeks to engage the public and youth through volunteering days and awareness campaigns (Refs 1-9).
Mangrove of the great bay
Retrieved from: https://grandebaiemartinique.com/action/etude-prealable-a-la-realisation-dactions-de-reconquete-de-zones-de-mangrove/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastlines
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- Mangroves
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Environmental quality
- Waste management
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Improvements to water quality
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Invasive alien species
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Improving coastal resilience, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces, Restoration of mangroves, Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems), Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Clearing out invasive alien species and allow natural regeneration maintaining the functionality the ecosystem, Habitat mapping, restoration and monitoring-focused management
Project objectives
1) Generate conditions for the favourable regeneration of mangrove: clear invasive (alien) species and clear the trash.
2) Engage with local communities in the implementation of the interventions (e.g. clean-ups, community-planting) and raise awareness of the role that mangroves play to maximize the efficiency of the intervention and create a sense of appropriation.
3) Nurse, plant and monitor the growth of mangrove seedlings until they grow taller than invasive species (Ref 1; 2; 3; 11).
4) Prevent the degradation of mangroves to maintain the ecosystem services delivered: mitigate coastline/wave-induced erosion (caused by storm surges, cyclonic winds and swells, accretion/erosion phenomena), sea water purification, habitat for aquatic species, flood mitigation (Ref 2; 11).
Implementation activities
1) Restoration of the sites (2022-ongoing):
-Canal Cocotte: the Roots of the Sea association first nursed white mangrove (and black ones to a lesser extent) seedlings. The ONF then cleared the persistent Commelina Diffusa and planted 220 saplings on 0,19 ha. The site is currently being monitoring and maintained
-Zone de Lézarde Nord: the municipality of Lamentin cleared the invasive exotic species Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) and planted white and black mangrove on 0.42 ha. Repetitive clearing and monitoring activities are currently being carried until the mangrove saplings grow taller than Guinea Grass
-Zone de Lézarde Sud: the municipality of Lamentin will clear Guinea Grass and the invasive Urochloa to prepare an area of 1.38 ha for white and black mangrove seedlings
-Rivière Pierre: the municipality of Ducos has been drafting a plan to restore 1,2 ha of mostly white, some black and in areas red mangrove. The site is polluted and invaded with Guinea Grass.
-Port Cohé: CACEM is planning to densify the natural regeneration of red mangroves an area of 0.62 ha. The area is currently being recolonised by red mangroves while black and white mangroves are degrading because of poor in nutrient supply or excessive flooding (Ref 4-9).
2) Public engagement:
-The implementors are taking measures to involve citizens as "much as possible" in the implementation of the project or raise awareness to ensure the appropriation (Ref 2).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
- Restore mangroves, marshes, reefs and wetlands to dissipate the effects of storms and floodwaters
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Coastal communities
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore valued species
- Clear and control invasive alien species
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Unknown
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Public sector institution
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Taskforce groups
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiative was launched by the French Coastal Protection Agency (CELRL) (public institution) within the framework of the “Contrat de la Grande Baie de Martinique.” A feasibility study conducted by CACEM (municipality) from 2019 to 2021 informed the Steering Committee’s selection of sites and restoration protocols. The Committee consists of CELRL, Intermunicipal Development Agencies (IDA) (CACEM, CAESM), the National Office for Forests (ONF)), The Martinican Regional Natural Park (PNRM) , and the municipalities of Le Lamentin and Ducos. Project implementors are responsible for developing and executing interventions at each site. The actions aim to involve the general public and schoolchildren as much as possible. The Roots of the Sea (NGO) nursed some of the seedlings. Financing has been provided by the French Office for Biodiversity, the municipality of Le Lamentin, and CACEM (municipality) (Ref 1-3; 5-10).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased number of species present
- Expected increased number of species present
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
- Achieved improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
- Expected improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Other
References
1.
Contrat de la Grande Baie de Martinique (n.d.). Etude préalable à la réalisation d’actions de reconquête de zones de mangrove. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Actions de reconquête de zones de mangrove. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 17, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Villard Maurel,A., Conesa, G., and Scaron, C. (2024). CONTRAT DE LA GRANDE BAIE MARTINIQUE RAPPORT 2023. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Villard Maurel, A., and Conesa, G. (2023). CONTRAT DE LA GRANDE BAIE MARTINIQUE RAPPORT 2022. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Zone de Lézarde Nord. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Zone de Lézarde Sud. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Zone de Port Cohé. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Zone de Canal Cocotte. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Contrat de la Grande Baie Martinique (n.d.). Zone de Rivière Pierre. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
10.
impactMer (2021). Phase 3: Etude préalable à la réalisation d’actions de reconquête de la mangrove sur le périmètre de la baie de Fort-de-France. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
11.
impactMer (2020). Phase 1: Etude préalable à la réalisation d’actions de reconquête de la mangrove sur le périmètre de la baie de Fort-de-Franc. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
12.
impactMer (2021). Phase 2: Etude préalable à la réalisation d’actions de reconquête de la mangrove sur le périmètre de la baie de Fort-de-France. grandebaiemartinique.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.