Harmful landfills are being converted to mangrove forests in an attempt to reverse global warming

Europe has gone through a record temperature increase in recent times. It has led to legitimate concerns about Global Warming. Global Warming can cause a rise in sea level, leading to the loss of coastal land, a change in precipitation patterns, increased risks of droughts and floods and threats to biodiversity, according to the UN. At such a dire time, the news of a landfill being turned into a mangrove forest comes as a breath of fresh air. This mangrove forest has been created after a landfill in Rio De Janeiro, as reported by Good News Network.

The Jardim Gramacho landfill was a 150-acre landfill famous for its environmental impact in Rio De Janeiro for many years. Today it has become a mangrove forest filled with greenery and fresh air. Later, the landfill was decommissioned because of its harmful effects in 2012. Between 1970 and 2012, the area was highly active and garnered 80 million metric tonnes of trash from the nearby Gramacho neighborhood.

After the decommissioning, no one bothered about the area for a long time until a public-private partnership led by the Rio Municipal Cleaning Company. They decided to make efforts to overturn the landfill into a mangrove forest and enhance the quality of the ecosystem in the place. The organization began to plant 24 acres of mangroves in one single go. Their efforts ultimately came to fruition as now the stretch of the forest is more than 120 acres and it has become the largest mangrove area in the bay.

In an interview with Africa News, a lead official of the project said, "Before, we polluted the bay and the rivers. Now, it's the bay and the rivers that pollute us. Today, the mangrove has completely recovered." Other organizations are also not behind and are taking meaningful steps to restore mangrove forests in the area to improve the quality of the environment. The non-profit organization named Ocean Pact provided funding for the Green Guanabara Bay Project.

The project, to this date, has aided in the successful restoration of 12.5 hectares of mangrove forests. The restoration process is extremely important as it has been estimated that 1 acre of mangrove forest can store more carbon and soil in its roots compared to 4 acres of a biodiverse rainforest. It makes the forest crucial to climate mitigation strategy.

Mangrove forests have lattice work in their roots, which are impressive and aid in reducing deforestation. They are also highly durable, which reduces the overall effect of storm surges. According to Good News Network, the surge lose almost 66% of their kinetic energy because of their innate durability and don't even harm the trees in the process.

The reduction in storm surges prevents damage to humans, animals, and establishments. Coastal fishing communities are also getting a lot of benefits from the mangrove forests by helping them indirectly generate income. Its existence ensures that all kinds of fish and crustaceans have a nursery and apt habitat to survive. It is beneficial for fishermen who depend on these species for their livelihood.