Fatou Jarjue Leads Mangrove Restoration in Banjul, Gambia

Fatou Jarjue, a 34‑year‑old mother from the Ndangan settlement near Banjul, has been restoring mangroves in the Tanbi Wetland to protect the Gambian capital’s coastline. She says she has replanted more than 5,000 mangrove seedlings since the previous year, supplementing her family’s livelihood of oyster and crab harvesting with conservation work.

The mangrove forest acts as a natural barrier against coastal erosion and flooding, which have intensified with rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. Jarjue and other local women tend the seedlings, replace damaged plants and monitor the wetland, aiming to sustain both the ecosystem and the community that depends on it.