UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
This page details the UN Sustainable Development Goals being addressed by the SeaTrees project in the Cacheu Mangrove Forest National Park and Cantanhez Forest National Park in Guinea-Bissau. This project is also known as the Community Based Avoided Deforestation Project in Guinea-Bissau (CBADP).
Sustainable Development in Guinea-Bissau
SeaTrees has been supporting the long-term conservation of two National Parks in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau: The Cacheu Mangrove Forest National Park and the Cantanhez Forest National Park.the protection of 181,200 hectares of coastal watershed in Guinea-Bissau, on West Africa’s Atlantic coast.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet the country possesses extremely rich biodiversity of local and global importance. The people of Guinea-Bissau depend on its forests, especially its mangrove forests, for their livelihood. Nearly 80% of the country’s population lives in the coastal zone and is dependent on marine and coastal biodiversity for income, material goods, and food security. This project supports the sustainable development of over 134 villages and 50,000 people living in each national park.
Key Impact Metrics
- Reduces poverty of the local communities surrounding the project areas.
- Improves the well-being of over 50,000 local people.
- Empowers local communities through increased incomes and improved social infrastructure.
- Improves educational opportunities and literacy.
- Strengthens efforts to safeguard the area's cultural and natural heritage.
Sustainable Development Goals addressed by the project
SeaTrees evaluates this project annually to measure its impact on all relevant Sustainable Development Goals. The Guinea-Bissau project addresses seven SDGs. Read below for more details.
No Poverty
Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world. Through a micro-finance mechanism and poverty alleviation measures, this project will increase incomes and improve social infrastructure for over 50,000 people living in each national park.
Quality Education
Long-term goals for this project include improved educational opportunities and literacy for the people living in and around the National Parks.
Clean Water and Sanitation
In addition to protecting the neighboring mangrove forest and providing clean water to local communities, the clean water protected by this project also has the potential to improve water drainage and support several local fisheries.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
The active participation of the community is paramount to project success. Park Management Committees (with 50% community participation) establish a collaborative ethic supporting sustainable development in the Project Area. Additionally, organized communities residing in and around the Project Areas will have access to small-scale, socio-economic investments with conservation goals.
Climate Action
As a VCS and CCBA verified REDD+ project, this project prevents the emission of an average of 90 thousand tons of CO2 each year by avoiding deforestation and forest degradation.
In order to ensure continued success, this project engages the local community in reforestation and coastal monitoring activities with Park Rangers and active patrols discouraging negatively impactful activities.
Life Below Water
Nearly 80% of the country’s population lives in the coastal zone and is dependent on marine and coastal biodiversity for income, material goods, and food security.
This project will improve the conservation of globally significant fauna and flora species while strengthening the protection of globally and regionally significant marine species (including sea turtles, African manatees, sharks, Crocodiles, and Saltwater Hippos).
Life on Land
Prior to this project, Guinea-Bissau experienced decades of political instability, weak institutional capacity, and a total absence of rules which took precedent over natural resources in the country. Additionally, subsistence agriculture, cashew plantations, rice production, and the extraction of fuelwood for charcoal or the smoking of fish were principal threats to forests and biodiversity.
This project now protects 181,200 hectares of mangroves and coastal watershed, while implementing practices to avoid deforestation, thus reducing carbon emissions and contributing to the protection of these globally important biodiversity sites.
