Africa’s largest mangrove restoration project has been given the green light in Mozambique, with plans to plant 200 million trees over the course of 60 years, as announced by the company that secured the license on Thursday.
Based in the Gulf, Blue Forest disclosed that it will commence the project in November, following approximately two and a half years of conducting feasibility studies to obtain the license.
According to Vahid Fotuhi, the founder and CEO of Blue Forest, the first of the 200 million mangroves will be planted in Quelimane, Zambezia, aligning with the start of Mozambique’s rainy season.
Fotuhi stated that the project aims to rehabilitate an area covering 155,000 hectares, which is twice the size of Singapore. In addition to revitalising Mozambique’s deteriorated coastline, the tree planting initiative is expected to create about 5,000 forestry jobs.
Mangroves are adept at capturing carbon dioxide, and their intricate root systems stabilise coastlines, reduce erosion, and provide refuge for marine life, including fish and other creatures.
Cyclones, flooding, logging, and land clearance have caused damage to Mozambique’s extensive mangrove ecosystem.
Fotuhi emphasised that, throughout its 60-year duration, the MozBlue project is projected to eliminate approximately 20.4 million tons of CO2, contributing to efforts to address climate change.