DP World Posorja (DPWP) as part of its global strategy “Our World, Our Future”, and the Ocean Enhancement Program; began a Mangrove Plantation Program on 65 hectares (ha) with the Calisur Foundation in Guayas province, Guayaquil canton, Puna Island, near the Zapote community. This program aims to create blue carbon ecosystems through mangroves in Ecuador with the aim of capture CO2 emissions and minimizing DP World’s environmental impact. The ability of these vegetated ecosystems to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere makes them significant net carbon sinks.
The program evolved to stand as a key program of DPWP decarbonization strategy, and it’s called now “Sembrando Vida”. The company delivered the first 65 ha of mangroves (more than 150,000 Red Mangroves) in September 2021 to the Ecuadorian Minister of Environment, and to reach the goal of 105ha of mangrove, DPWP started the sowing of 115,000 additional mangroves seeds since November 2020. Until date 35,000 Red Mangroves seedlings have been planted. DPWP for 2024 estimates a reduction of 3.125.000kg of CO2 from the 100Ha of Red Mangrove Planting.
Six thousand people adjacent the port is engaged in fishing. They mostly depend on the products that can be extracted from the mangrove, basically, crabs and shells. Creating new mangroves and working together with the communities contributes to the protection of these habitats allowing the development of a long-term strategy with fundamental stakeholders for DPWP.
We are working focusing on primarily three SDGs.
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
- Goal 13: Climate Action.
- Goal 14: Life Below Water.
Mangroves are essential in protecting coastal areas from erosion, sedimentation and impacts of natural events; are the habitat of species of conservation interest (dolphins, turtles, alligators); are privileged sites for recreation and enjoyment of the natural landscape and contribute to the development of communities through locally based tourism.