Key themes around which the work of Wetlands International Africa – West Coast and Gulf of Guinea (WIACO) is structured, in collaboration with its partners:

🌿 Key intervention themes of Wetlands International Africa

🌱 Conservation and restoration of mangroves

• Ecological rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems
• Assisted natural restoration (ANR)
• Local governance of coastal resources
• Link between mangroves and climate (blue carbon)

💧 Integrated wetland management

• Protection of deltas, estuaries, marshes, and mudflats
• Participatory ecological monitoring of wetlands
• Sustainable management of water resources and watersheds

🌍 Climate resilience and community adaptation

• Nature-based solutions to reduce climate risks (flooding, erosion)
• Support for local adaptation plans (PLA)
• Reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities

🐦 Protection of biodiversity and migratory birds

• Conservation of critical sites along the East Atlantic Flyway
• Monitoring of indicator and threatened species
• Cross-border cooperation (Wadden Sea Flyway program)

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏼 Participatory governance and community empowerment

• Capacity building for local communities
• Promoting equitable and inclusive land use rights
• Integrating gender and youth into environmental governance

💼 Sustainable economy and local development

• Promoting sustainable sectors (oysters, honey, salt, mangrove rice)
• Supporting alternative income generation through GECCOMs
• Promoting natural products from wetlands

🧪 Applied research, innovation and local knowledge

• Experiments on the restoration of saline lands (e.g., phosphogypsum + organic matter)
• Integration of traditional knowledge into ecosystem management
• Capitalization of best practices and dissemination of lessons learned