The Cacheu Landscape

In northern Guinea Bissau the Cacheu Landscape, part of the broader Jeta-Pecixe-Cacheu region, is one of West Africa’s richest wetland treasures. Its vast mangroves and vibrant waters sustain extraordinary wildlife, store millions of tonnes of carbon, and sustain the lives and cultures of over 220,000 people.

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The Jeta–Pecixe–Cacheu (JPC) region is an ecological bridge between the drier Sahel to the north, the humid tropical forests to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

At the heart of this landscape is the Rio Cacheu, a sea inlet that receives little freshwater input outside the rainy season. Around it lies a diverse wetland mosaic, from open-water riverine ecosystems and extensive mangrove forests to broad mudflats and seagrass beds along the coast.

Across JPC, mangroves extend over around 117.000 hectares — roughly 8% of Guinea Bissau’s territory and among the largest mangrove expanses in West Africa. These mangroves store an estimated 248 million tonnes of CO₂ and sequester approximately 630.000 of tonnes of CO₂ each year, a number equivalent to roughly 8% of the country’s estimated total greenhouse-gas emissions.

The JPC landscape is a major biodiversity hotspot. The Parque Nacional de Tarrafes de Rio Cacheu was designated as a Ramsar site in 2015 and it supports more than 248 bird species, including the black crowned-crane, greater flamingo, lesser flamingo, pink-backed pelican, and many migratory waterbirds.

The park is an exceptional refuge for rare and iconic wildlife species, such as the Atlantic humpback dolphin, a coastal cetacean found only in West Africa and considered one of the region’s most threatened marine mammals. Other notable species include the manatee, African clawless otter, Nile crocodile and dwarf crocodile.

For the estimated 220.000 people living within and around the Cacheu landscape, a mosaic of coastal, inland, and man-made wetlands forms the foundation of life. Fishing, rice farming, small-scale agriculture and mangrove oyster farming sustain local economies and food security. The mangrove forests are vital nurseries for marine life and help sustain the country’s coastal fisheries, supporting an estimated 70% of Guinea-Bissau’s coastal catch.

Beyond their economic importance, these wetlands are deeply interlinked with cultural identity: Indigenous groups maintain sacred forests and inlets, and ancient traditions that have been passed down for generations.

Unfortunately, mangroves in the country are increasingly under pressure from conversion to rice cultivation, overexploitation, and climate change. Over the past three decades, significant areas of mangrove forest have been degraded largely due to agricultural conversion.

The JPC landscape offers a unique opportunity for conservation and restoration. Ongoing efforts aim to strengthen local stewardship, improve sustainable resource management, and align conservation priorities with global goals, including the proposed designation of the JPC landscape as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Initiatives like savings and loans groups, small-scale agriculture, artisanal palm-oil production, honey production, transformation of non-timber forest products, sustainable fisheries, salt production, traditional crafts and soap-making, and fruit and cassava sales are already making a positive impact on both nature and people.

Restoring mangroves, improving fisheries management, and supporting sustainable livelihoods will be key to safeguarding biodiversity, cultural heritage, and climate resilience in the region.