Building Climate Resilient Communities Along Africa's Coasts : The Role of Mangroves

The book "Building Climate Resilient Communities along Africa's Coasts: The Role of Mangroves" highlights the crucial role mangrove ecosystems play in enhancing climate resilience for coastal communities in Africa, which face rising sea levels, intensified storms, and habitat loss. With Africa’s extensive coastline and dependence on coastal resources, mangroves are essential for protecting communities from environmental stressors, preserving biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods. Each chapter focuses on a specific coastal region in Africa, addressing local challenges, successful case studies, and strategies for integrating mangrove conservation into resilience planning.

The book takes an integrative, community-centered approach, combining detailed analyses of mangroves with case studies from across Africa’s coasts. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique ecological and cultural contexts of different regions. Local community engagement in mangrove restoration is covered, highlighting the value of traditional knowledge alongside modern conservation methods. The book also advocates for collaboration among governments, NGOs, and local stakeholders to develop effective policies. By offering actionable recommendations and showcasing the socio-economic benefits of healthy mangrove ecosystems, the book serves as a practical guide for decision-makers and practitioners, aiming to empower communities and inspire action in the fight against climate change and environmental degradation.

Nyong Princely Awazi serves as Lecturer at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Technology, College of Technology (COLTECH), The University of Bamenda, Cameroon. He holds a Ph.D in Agroforestry and Valuation of Ecosystem Services. Since 2014, he has been involved in research on the cross-cutting themes of agroforestry, forestry, ecotourism, climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. He has consultancy experience across several countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbeans, Asia, the Middle East and North America.