GIZ brings together partners for mangrove education to support ecosystem-based adaptation

The GIZ Project "Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Risk Mitigation (E4DR)" organised a learning exchange at the Paraiso Mangrove Eco-Learning Park in Tacloban City. The event brought together participants from the Panian, San Isidro, and Himbangan Mangrove Planters Association ((PASAHI-MaPA) and the local government unit of Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte. The exchange focused on mangrove nursery establishment, production, maintenance, and conservation.

PASAHI-MaPA, a people’s organisation supported by a small-scale project from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), is learning how to design a mangrove nursery and manage it effectively. Meanwhile, the LGU of Saint Bernard, which is implementing an ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) Pilot Measure Project for the conservation of mangrove forests and bird sanctuaries, is gaining insights into sustainable ecotourism and alternative livelihoods.

The Paraiso Mangrove Eco-Learning Park, established as part of the recovery efforts following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), is a 6-hectare mangrove plantation located in Cancabato Bay. Managed by a people’s organisation in coordination with the Barangay Officials of Barangay 83, Tacloban City, the park features a nursery specifically designed for growing mangrove species onsite. With 50,000 mangrove trees planted, the park serves as a protective barrier for adjacent communities against storm surges and enhances fishery stocks—a practical example of successful mangrove management and coastal resource conservation.

The learning session aimed to provide PASAHI-MaPA and the LGU of Saint Bernard with valuable knowledge and skills to advance their EbA projects and contribute to sustainable coastal resource management and development in Southern Leyte.