People of Egypt replants mangroves to fight effects of climate change

 

After decades of destruction during which the mangroves were cleared, all that remained were fragmented patches totalling about 500 hectares, the size of only a few hundred football pitches.

Sayed Khalifa, the head of Egypt's agriculture syndicate who is leading efforts to replant the mangroves, calls the unique plants a treasure because of their ability to grow in salt water where they face no problems of drought.

"It's an entire ecosystem," Mr Khalifa said, knee-deep in the water. "When you plant mangroves, marine life, crustaceans and birds all flock in."

The government-backed programme, costing about $50,000 a year, was launched five years ago.

Mangroves have a powerful impact in combating climate change.