Women Guardians of the Mangroves

Mangroves are invaluable: They are the breeding and feeding grounds for fish and shellfish that many PNG communities rely upon. Mangroves also trap sediment from land runoff, so that coral reefs and seagrass aren't smothered by silt, and they buffer coastal communities against the impact of king tides and storm surges caused by climate change. But mangroves are one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. They are cleared for housing, logging and aquaculture and are over-harvested for timber and firewood. This has a negative impact on the environment and on people's lives.

In response to these issues, women have created Mangoro Market Meri (meaning Mangrove Market Women) to manage their mangroves sustainably and also to improve the benefits they can derive from them. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is supporting the women of Mangoro Market Meri (MMM) by helping them develop and trial their business and conservation ideas, and then link them to larger-scale economic benefits for conservation. Our focus is on supporting women to identify their needs and then create opportunities for them to access leadership, financial literacy and business and conservation management that generates much-needed income and employment.

TNC continues to support efforts at the provincial and national level to develop sustainable mangrove policies, which MMM can both inform and reinforce. Women’s leadership is expanding to other provinces in PNG with the goal of creating a network for sharing and learning between women across the country.

MMM is showing how women’s involvement in conservation, economic development and decision-making create more prosperous and healthy futures for themselves, their communities and their environment.