The power of regrowth
KIN MAGAZINE - VSO 2020
Created for KIN Magazine by VSO International, this editorial illustration accompanies The Power of Regrowth, a story about how mangrove restoration helped transform the lives of coastal communities in the Philippines. The article explores the connection between climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, sustainable livelihoods, and community-led conservation efforts. Through visual storytelling, the project highlights the critical role mangroves play in protecting coastlines, supporting biodiversity, and strengthening local economies in the face of climate change.
Severe weather exacerbated by climate change pounded the fishing community of Lanao del Norte, but replanting mangroves restored the environment and economy. When Neil Antoque, 42, a marine biologist from the central Philippines province of Bohol, began volunteering on VSO’s Fishing for Peace project in the province in 2018, he immediately saw the long-term risk of the actions of the people who lived there.
“I saw local people cutting the mangroves to use for charcoal and to build houses,” he explains. “But without the mangroves to act as a buffer against tides, people’s homes were destroyed.” Mangrove, a coastline shrub that grows in the tropics, has many benefits for these communities. A 100m stretch can create an effective barrier against the sea,reducing the height of waves by two-thirds – vital for provinces such as Lanao, where storms bring destructive swells of up to 7m.
