Along the lagoon shores of southern Benin, a scene that was once commonplace has become exceptional. “Recently, a resident entered a mangrove ecosystem to cut down mangrove trees, as people used to do in the past. But the site had already been declared sacred…,” recalls Luc Mouvi, President of the Ahémé Community Biodiversity Conservation Area (ACCB, from the French Aire Communautaire de Conservation de la Biodiversité), which is managed by local communities.

The man was stopped and required to replant the trees he had cut down, becoming a symbol of a profound shift in attitudes toward mangrove conservation.

The change is also evident in everyday practices. “We used to use mangrove wood to smoke fish without understanding the consequences,” recalls Catherine Sianté, a member and Treasurer of ACCB Ahémé. “We now understand the importance of mangroves, and our practices have changed. No one dares to destroy them anymore.”

In the coastal areas of southern Benin, mangroves are undergoing a remarkable transformation. Once heavily exploited, they are now increasingly recognized as an ecological, cultural, and spiritual heritage worth protecting. At the entrance to some sites, the presence of the Zangbeto, an iconic figure in Beninese Vodun tradition and a guardian of social order, symbolizes this renewed relationship between communities and their environment.

This momentum is being driven by the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Human and Natural Systems to Climate Change through the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Mangrove Ecosystems in Southern Benin.” The initiative is implemented with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Living Environment and Transport in charge of Sustainable Development (MCVT), and financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Operating across nine municipalities in southern Benin (Grand-Popo, Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Kpomassè, Bopa, Comè, Sèmè-Podji, Sô-Ava, and Aguégués) the project focuses in particular on Ramsar wetlands 1017 and 1018, two of the country’s most important ecosystems from both ecological and socio-economic perspectives.

On the ground, the results are visible. Degraded mangrove forests are being restored, reforested areas are coming back to life, and waterways that had long been clogged are regaining their functionality. Communities are already experiencing tangible benefits from these interventions.

According to Fiacre Codjo Ahononga, National Project Coordinator, the ambition extends far beyond environmental restoration alone. “Six value chains (aquaculture, salt production, fisheries, market gardening, composting, and ecotourism) have been structured to help communities generate more sustainable incomes through training and the implementation of business plans developed by beneficiaries themselves.” He notes that reopening waterways has improved mobility and trade, while mangrove restoration and the planting of fast-growing tree species have reduced pressure on forest resources. “Restoration efforts across municipalities and reforestation using fast-growing species have transformed community attitudes,” he emphasizes.

The project is already delivering measurable results. Séverin Nsia, Chair of the National Project Steering Committee, highlights significant achievements: “One hundred and ten hectares of mangroves have been placed under protection, forty-seven hectares have already been restored, twenty-nine hectares reforested, and fourteen kilometers of waterways reopened.”

Beyond the figures, he stresses the growing ownership of the initiative by local populations. “The momentum created by the Government, with the support of partners such as FAO and the GEF, has gradually mobilized communities, which are now taking ownership of restoration activities.”

The initiative is also investing in the future through the establishment of nine environmental clubs dedicated to training “Junior Mangrove Ambassadors.” These efforts are supported by school nurseries, school plantations, and forest seedling production facilities. At the same time, conservation measures have been strengthened through the sacralization of eighteen sites covering one hundred and forty-four hectares, the adoption of local natural resource management agreements, support to thirty-three cooperatives and associations, and the promotion of innovations such as solar-powered salt production, which helps reduce pressure on forest resources.

For Zoéwindé Henri Noël Bouda, FAO Representative in Benin, this approach demonstrates the close link between environmental protection and sustainable development. “Restoring mangroves means acting for the environment. But it also helps revive fisheries and aquaculture production, improve nutrition, and increase people’s incomes.”

Nature itself appears to be responding to these efforts. In the Coastal Cluster, Gérard Djikpessé, President of the local ACCB, has observed the return of several species that had become rare or disappeared altogether, including fish, crocodiles, vipers, monkeys, and birds. This recovery is creating new opportunities for ecotourism.

In Comè, around Lake Ahémé, Mayor Edgar Tohouegnon also notes a revival in economic activity. “Fishing activities are more dynamic, and incomes are improving.” Ecotourism has now been integrated into the municipality’s development planning.

Driven by local communities, this initiative demonstrates how mangrove conservation can successfully combine environmental protection, improved livelihoods, and greater resilience to climate change.