Restoring Coastlines and Strengthening Communities: Mangrove Afforestation in Southern Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, with a long coastline, flat delta lands, and over 170 million people living within a small geographic area. Much of the southern region sits less than five meters above sea level, making millions of families extremely exposed to cyclones, tidal surges, and floods. At the same time, this landscape is home to one of the country’s strongest natural protectors: mangrove forests.
Mangroves store carbon, stabilize shorelines, reduce storm impacts, and support local livelihoods through fishing, honey collection, fuelwood, and other forest resources. They hold four times more carbon per hectare than tropical terrestrial forests and make up 54% of Bangladesh’s biomass carbon stock. But years of environmental stress, poverty, and repeated disasters have led to large-scale degradation. Restoring these ecosystems is now more urgent than ever.
To respond to this need, the project “Mangrove Tree Planting for Environmental Sustainability in Southern Bangladesh” was launched in the coastal districts of Satkhira and Khulna, with funding support from Spronck Foundation and other partners. Its goal is to rebuild natural protection, increase resilience, and involve communities directly in caring for their environment.
Between December 2024 and October 2025, the project planted 44,138 mangrove saplings over 14.71 hectares in Assasuni Upazila of Satkhira district and Paikgacha Upazila of Khulna district. Three nurseries were established to ensure a steady supply of seedlings, with 128,151 sapling bags prepared and sown. Five mangrove species were planted: Keora, Baen, Khulshi, Kankra, and Goran.
A key part of the project is community participation. Fifteen community groups with a total of 450 members, mostly women, were formed this year. They are responsible for managing mangrove growth across 25 hectares of land. Members received training from the Forest Department on nursery development, seed collection, seedling care, weeding, irrigation, pruning, thinning, and pest management. In total, 448 people took part in these capacity-building sessions.
To protect the young plants, fencing was installed across 20 hectares, using 4,244 concrete pillars and 25,464 feet of netting, with remaining areas to be fenced in November 2025. Regular follow-up meetings, 75 meetings with community groups, 10 meetings with the Forest Department, and 12 meetings with Union Parishads helped monitor progress, address challenges, and strengthen cooperation.
The project also marked key environmental days with 115 participants, raising awareness of the value of mangroves for both the ecosystem and the economy.
Step by step, these restored mangrove belts are becoming living shields, protecting coastlines, supporting biodiversity, and securing a safer future for vulnerable families in southern Bangladesh.
