Ma Honkô: Mother Mangroves Restoration in Madagascar

The Noble Caledonia Charitable Trust (NCCT) is partnering with Bondy Madagascar to restore degraded mangrove forests along Madagascar’s northwest coastline in the Boeny Region, near Mahajanga — an area regularly visited by NC expedition voyages. Their project is called “Ma Honkô” which means mother mangroves.

Through an initial £5,000 contribution, NCCT is funding the planting of 5,000 mangrove trees, supporting one of the planet’s most powerful natural climate solutions while directly benefiting coastal communities. Madagascar remains rich in forests and biodiversity yet is highly vulnerable to climate change due to poverty, exposure to storms, and limited infrastructure. Investing in locally led restoration here delivers outsized environmental and social returns while addressing global climate inequality.

Mangroves are among the most efficient ecosystems on Earth for capturing and storing carbon — absorbing significantly more CO₂ per hectare than most terrestrial forests and locking it safely into coastal soils for centuries. This makes mangrove restoration one of the most durable and effective nature-based climate solutions available.

Additionally mangroves act as living coastal defences, reducing erosion and storm damage, while creating critical nursery habitats for the majority of tropical fish species. By stabilising shorelines, protecting coral reefs, improving fisheries, and supporting food security, mangrove forests deliver a powerful multiplier effect across climate resilience, biodiversity recovery and community wellbeing.

Unlike many land-based reforestation projects, mangroves do not compete with agricultural land and are naturally resilient to wildfire, making them both practical and long-lasting conservation investments.

All restoration work is carried out by trained workers from surrounding villages, creating sustainable green employment and strengthening local livelihoods. Each mangrove is planted, mapped and monitored using field assessments, satellite imagery and geo-tagged data, ensuring measurable environmental outcomes and clear donor reporting over time.

Through this partnership, every contribution directly regenerates Madagascar’s coastline — protecting ecosystems, supporting families, and strengthening climate resilience in regions our travellers explore firsthand.

This is conservation with enduring impact: restoring nature today while safeguarding communities and coastlines for generations to come.