Latest news with #coastal ecosystems
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Red Sea International launches volunteer initiatives on World Mangrove Day
RIYADH: Red Sea International launched a community volunteer initiative to celebrate World Mangrove Day, the SPA reported on Wednesday. It is part of a broader commitment to protect coastal ecosystems and empower residents of the Red Sea areas. The event took place at the Mangrove Park near the bridge to Shura Island within the Red Sea destination, with more than 100 volunteers, including residents and hospitality sector workers, taking part. Employees of The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, Nujuma, Six Senses Southern Dunes, Desert Rock and Shebara joined forces with Green Umluj for mangrove transplantation into the healthy coastal environment of the park. Attendees included representatives from the National Center For Vegetation Cover, identified as a strategic RSG partner in pursuing mutual mangrove recovery and improvement goals. Raed Al-Basseet, group chief environment and sustainability officer at Red Sea Global, said that the initiative embodies the regenerative tourism approach, which goes beyond environmental protection to empower local communities. Mangrove trees produce among the most effective ecosystems for carbon absorption, he added. Coinciding with the event was the official launch of The Red Sea International Volunteer Program. It aims to empower residents of the Red Sea areas, foster a culture of environmental responsibility and provide opportunities for specialized volunteering. The program seeks to activate community participation in renewable projects, build capacity and strengthen partnerships with the nonprofit sector. This supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Red Sea International's strategy based on its 'From People to Planet' slogan. RSG executed the volunteer drive through its Jewar App, a platform created for meaningful dialogue with local communities at the Red Sea destination. As part of the effort, more than 30 local residents took up an offer to volunteer. To enhance environmental education and foster involvement, participants were also invited to engage in a Mangrove Trivia activity.
Zawya
15-07-2025
- General
- Zawya
Madagascar launches $7 million initiative to protect coasts from climate change
Madagascar has officially launched a landmark initiative aimed at enhancing climate resilience by restoring critical coastal ecosystems and improving livelihoods across vulnerable regions. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly across four key coastal regions—Boeny, Menabe, Diana, and Atsimo Atsinanana—where climate impacts are already threatening both livelihoods and biodiversity. The project, Scaling Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Coastal Areas in Madagascar, will be executed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development with a USD 7.1 million grant from the Global Environment Facility and a cofinancing of USD 27 million. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) assisted the government with developing the project and will act as the implementing agency, as a continuation of a long-standing partnership on resilience-building and strengthened environmental stewardship Madagascar's coastal ecosystems—mangroves, coral reefs, and coastal forests—serve as natural buffers against rising seas, intensifying cyclones, and coastal erosion. Yet these ecosystems are under growing pressure from deforestation, overfishing, and a changing climate. Coastal zones support more than 75% of the local population by providing, for example, marine species for fisheries or valuable non-timber forest products. The new project aims to enhance the resilience of both ecosystems and communities through nature-based solutions, conventionally referred to as ecosystem-based adaptation. In close coordination with the Regional Directorates for Environment and Sustainable Development (DREDD), the project will support integrated coastal zone management structures, enhance national and local adaptation coordination, and provide revised tools and plans to integrate EbA at the regional and municipal levels. The initiative will restore 3,000 hectares of mangroves and coastal forests and rehabilitate 2,000 hectares of degraded watersheds using community-based approaches. Over the course of the project, almost 100,000 people are expected to benefit directly from ecosystem-based adaptation interventions. It will also support the creation of 20 ecosystem-based businesses, with a focus on empowering women and youth through access to training, technical support, and equipment. These businesses will span climate-resilient sectors such as sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, beekeeping, ecotourism, and rainfed agriculture. An official high-level launch ceremony was held on 15 July at Hôtel Le Louvre Antaninarenina, bringing together representatives from national ministries, UN agencies, civil society, and development partners. In her opening speech at the ceremony, the Secretary General of Environment and Sustainable Development Hahitantsoa Tokinirina Razafimahefa, said: 'Restoring mangroves means protecting the coastline, supporting sustainable small-scale fishing, creating natural carbon sinks, and preserving nesting sites for rare species. In other words, it means acting on adaptation, mitigation, food security, and biodiversity conservation—all at once.' Paz Lopez-Rey, UNEP's Programme Management Officer for the new project, said: 'The project will strengthen local governance for integrated coastal zone management, while ensuring the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation into key regional and municipal planning tools. But it will go further than that; it will lead to a national strategy to scale up ecosystem-based adaptation in other vulnerable coastal areas of the country.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
