Adel Zeggaf Tahiri

A mangrove ecosystem restoration project was carried for 3 years in the Mauritanian side of the River Senegal Delta where scarce scientific and/or technical references exist on these mangroves located in the northernmost limit on the West African coast. The construction of the Manantali and the Diama dams transformed the once exhuberant delta to an artificial estuary and had dramatically affected the inland mangrove ecosystems. Thousands of mangrove seedlings were grown annually in the PND and community nurseries. A participatory approach was adopted for mangrove plantings where chicken and goat manure was used as biological fertilizer. Finally, 42.000 mangrove trees were planted in 4 sites located in the area of the Park. Two years after planting, the mangrove trees reached a height of about 2 m, and constitute already a source of forage for herds of camels and goats. Success of such project in a fragile and desert environment could set the way for future mangrove restoration projects in Mauritania or other less hostile areas.