Group Aims to Buy Mangrove Islands to Block Development

A grassroots group called the Mangrove Guardians is hoping to raise funds to buy vulnerable mangrove islands and protect them from development. The group says  they’re tired of “developers showing up with big money and bigger promises, while locals get pushed further and further out.”

Mangroves aren’t just swampy trees. They act as natural shields against storms, protecting homes and communities along the coast. But development is putting pressure on these ecosystems. 

“A lot of hotels and resorts are building up within mangroves. They’re clearing and filling mangroves…And with that, of course, comes increased vulnerability to everyone along the coast,” explained Nadia Bood, senior programme officer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

To safeguard these coastal buffers, the WWF is working with landowners and realtors to encourage greener development. “There’s a way that you can develop it in a manner that can be aesthetic and functional and you do not completely destroy the ecosystem,” Bood said.

She noted that much of Belize’s mangrove is privately owned, making collaboration with landowners critical. She added that buying back land when possible is a positive step, as it allows these areas to be turned into conservation reserves.

That’s exactly what the Mangrove Guardians hope to do, buy land outright to keep it safe from bulldozers and cement. Bood supports the idea. “Anything we can do to help conserve the mangroves that currently exist would be a plus, a win-win for us and for the country overall,” she said.