Background:
Mangrove forests can play an important role in carbon removal because they are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems in the world, and if kept undisturbed, mangrove forest soils act as long-term carbon sinks.
The importance of protecting mangroves is reflected most clearly in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which focuses on sustainably governing our oceans and coasts and recognises mangroves' immense value to local communities. Sustaining mangrove forests also supports the achievement of many other SDGs, including eliminating poverty and hunger (SDG 1 and SDG 2), ensuring livelihoods and economic growth (SDG 8), taking actions against climate change impacts (SDG 13) and halting biodiversity loss (SDG.
Project Detail:
This project entails restoration and sustainable management of the Stubbs Creek Mangroves Forest Reserve in Akwa Ibom State, within the Niger Delta Mangrove Belt Region of Nigeria. The Stubbs Creek (Mangrove) Forest Reserve is about 39,000ha and was gazetted as a Reserve in 1955. It is located at the Southern end of the Akwa Ibom State, stretching from Enwang to James Town between latitudes 4032’ N and 40 38’N and longitudes 7054’E and 8018’E. It forms a buffer zone between the Atlantic coast in the South and the Akwa Ibom State mainland. It is also wedged between the Qua Iboe terminal of Mobil Producing Company in the west, the Cross River Estuary in the East and Stubbs Widdenham creeks in the north. SCFR cuts across four large rural communities (comprising 39 villages) namely: Eket, EsitEket, Mbo and Ibeno. The major occupations of the communities are farming and fishing and the area conserves significant cultural as well as aesthetic value, with many sacred sites for indigenous communities dotted around the landscape. The site falls under the Niger Delta wetlands region of Nigeria, considered a global biodiversity hotspot.
Reforestation and Protection:
The reserve originally covered an area of 310.78km2 (about 39,000ha) but now about 10,000 ha have been degraded. The project will increase local conservation awareness, plant trees to restore degraded forest portions, increase local capacity in sustainable agro practices among and users such as organic farming, mulching as a better practices, as these do not support further forest land degradation, but have potential to maximize or increase yield in farmland; promote local adoption of fuel-efficient biomass cook stoves by disseminating the stoves ;build capacity among pro poor forest- dependent in eco friendly enterprises (bee farming, snail farming, mushroom farming, rabbit farming, grass cutter farming) as in livelihood alternatives tologging. These will be done in a participatory manner engaging the locals, and, the State Forestry Department, locals NGOs and other relevant stakeholders.
Our Commitment:
Sembra Naturals has partnered with the Tropical Conservation and Research Centre and purchases 1 tree with the centre per item sold on our site. We continue to work closely with our suppliers in South Africa where respect for the land is being upheld by our commitment to organic and regenerative practices in Sceletium farming.