The Universidad Espiritu Santo (UEES) is proud to announce the First Ecuadorian Mangrove Congress, to be held on September 4 and 5, 2024 at its Convention Center. This event has been designed to share experiences and achievements in mangrove restoration in various provinces of the country.
The congress will highlight the results of the consultancy «Implementation of restoration actions in the mangrove ecosystem in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabí and El Oro», developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE) and the REM program, as part of the project «Sustainable Biodiversity from Mangrove to Coral 2021-2050: With Science and Ancestral Knowledge».
By 2024, Ecuador has restored 560 hectares of mangroves in the coastal provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas and El Oro, thanks to the «Mangrove Restoration Project», supported by the governments of Norway and Germany. This initiative has also improved the quality of life of more than 200 local families.
«Mangroves are essential tropical ecosystems that support a wide biological diversity. They are known as nature's supermarket, and their conservation is vital for our survival as a species,» says Natalia Molina, UEES researcher.
The benefits of mangroves are innumerable: they preserve the biodiversity of flora and fauna, mitigate the effects of climate change, protect coastal areas and improve the quality of life of local communities.
The congress will be attended by international organizations such as WWF, DP World, The Nature Conservancy, WildAid, among others. «With the restoration of these ecosystems, Ecuador not only protects its natural heritage, but also contributes significantly to the global fight against climate change,» emphasizes Molina.
UEES's involvement in mangrove restoration reinforces its commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, serving as an example for other institutions and organizations at the national and international level.
