Overview
A mangrove restored at the coast can still fail if the catchment feeding it, sometimes many kilometres upstream, is degraded. Treating coastal and catchment restoration as one connected system, rather than as separate projects, is what makes durable recovery possible.
Restoring Coastal and Catchment Ecosystems as One Connected System
Forest condition, water systems, livelihoods and downstream coastal ecosystems are connected, which means restoration planning has to look well beyond the boundary of a single restoration site.
what we do
Four principles for connected ecosystem restoration
- Map the Connected System
Map the relationship between catchments, rivers, estuaries, wetlands and coastal habitats. Site assessments should consider hydrology, elevation, sediment movement, land-use pressures and existing natural regeneration before restoration activities are selected.
- Restore Ecological Function
Restore the ecological function that allows ecosystems to recover. In some locations that may mean mangrove planting; in others it may mean reopening tidal channels, protecting natural regeneration, reducing erosion or improving catchment management.
- Design Restoration With Local People
Design restoration with local people. Fishers, farmers, community organisations and local institutions often understand seasonal water movement, resource use and historical ecosystem change. Their knowledge should inform restoration priorities and stewardship arrangements.
- Monitor the Whole System
Monitor the whole system rather than a single activity. Track survival, regeneration, hydrological condition, sediment dynamics, biodiversity indicators and human pressures where appropriate. Evidence from monitoring should guide adaptive management and future investment.
A connected landscape approach also strengthens the case for partnerships because it links individual restoration activities to wider climate, biodiversity and livelihood outcomes.
