Reviving coastal ecosystems

The National Coordinating Organization of Farmer Associations The Gambia (NACOFAG), headquartered in Brikama, represents 383,558 members – 295,958 women and 87,600 men. As a legally registered platform working alongside the National Farmers Platform The Gambia (NFPG), NACOFAG plays a central role in advancing rural livelihoods, natural resource management, food security and climate resilience.

Along The Gambia’s vulnerable coastal and riverine zones, mangrove degradation has undermined biodiversity, fisheries, rice production and community livelihoods. Rising salinity, declining fish stocks and increasing flooding have placed heavy pressure on farming and artisanal fishing households.

Although NACOFAG and NFPG consistently advocated for a coordinated response, communities lacked the technical skills, organisation and resources to restore mangroves at meaningful scale until Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) support became available.

Forest and Farm Facility activities

With support from FFF, NFPG and NACOFAG mobilised community groups, women’s cooperatives and youth associations to undertake a coordinated mangrove restoration programme across climate vulnerable coastal landscapes.

FFF provided technical assistance, training and mobilisation funding that strengthened local skills in seedling propagation, planting and monitoring, and in participatory ecosystem management.

From 2023-25, communities restored 24 hectares of degraded mangrove ecosystems using low cost, community based planting techniques. Participants were trained to establish seedling nurseries, transplant mangroves, set up protective zones and monitor regeneration.

FFF also facilitated collaboration with local authorities and coastal management offices, aligning restoration efforts with national climate-adaptation strategies and elevating policy recognition of community led restoration.

Central to the model was community leadership. Women and young people were actively involved in nurseries, field planting and monitoring – strengthening ownership and ensuring long term sustainability. The initiative built lasting local capacity rather than dependence on external actors.

Significance of impact

The restored 24 hectares of mangroves are already delivering significant ecological and livelihood benefits. Regenerated mangroves stabilise shorelines, reduce erosion and improve soil fertility.

Saltwater intrusion into rice fields has declined, leading to more reliable harvests and improved food security. Mangrove canopies cool microclimates, enhance carbon storage and strengthen resilience to extreme weather.

Biodiversity recovery has been rapid. Revitalised channels now support fish, oysters and crustaceans, providing renewed income opportunities for artisanal fishers and women oyster harvesters. Improved spawning grounds are boosting fisheries resources, strengthening long term ecosystem health.

Communities increasingly view mangroves as essential green infrastructure that supports both nature and livelihoods.

Women and young people are benefiting directly as revived fisheries, oyster harvesting and rice farming restore incomes and strengthen household resilience. Women’s cooperatives, in particular, report improved harvests and more stable earnings.

Conclusion

FFF support to NACOFAG and NFPG has enabled the successful restoration of 24 hectares of degraded mangroves, strengthened climate resilience and protected livelihoods across The Gambia’s coastal communities.

This community driven, gender inclusive model – aligned with the national climate policy – provides a scalable foundation for restoring coastal ecosystems and securing sustainable futures for rural households.

Further reading

News: FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility transforms lives in The Gambia, FAO (2024)

Forest and Farm Facility 2023 annual report: climate resilient landscapes and improved livelihoods, Forest and Farm Facility (2024), project report