Mangrove recovery by habitat restoration using nature-based solutions

This paper presents five examples of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to restore degraded mangroves and mangrove-mud coasts. These examples are meant to provide inspiration for the restoration of other such coasts. The designs are based on a qualitative/conceptual understanding of the bio-physical system. This is obtained mainly from an in-depth analysis of historic satellite images and historic maps, while quantitative data are scarce, as is generally the case in these environments. One example reflects the restoration of circulation and flushing in a small bay in the SW of the Caribbean Island Bonaire. Drainage channels were overgrown, and the forest was attacked from the back by hyper-salinity and the inflow of silts. The first, more urgent problem has now been addressed by re-opening a few channels, restoring circulation and flushing, and mangrove recruitment restarted. The other four examples are from Guyana and Suriname. Though all sites are part of the greater Guiana coastal zone and driven by the same physical processes, local conditions are so different that different NbS-solutions were required to catch and arrest sufficient sediments to recreate mangrove habitat. The examples show why and how one solution works at one location, while elsewhere another approach was successful. This paper can be regarded as a supplement to the Engineering with Nature Atlas issued by ERDC in 2024, which focuses on temperate climate environments though.