What a unique approach to marine restoration can teach about tackling biodiversity loss

The AquaForest project in the Guayas Delta, Ecuador, repurposes fine dredged sediments—typically discarded as waste—to build a new mangrove island ecosystem. Co-designed with local communities and validated through scientific research, the project addresses coastal erosion, biodiversity loss, and sediment disposal. The author argues that scaling such nature-based solutions requires a combination of policy reform, innovative financing like blue bonds, and cross-sector partnerships.

• The AquaForest project transforms fine dredged sediments, which are usually considered unstable, potentially contaminated, and difficult-to-manage byproducts of port dredging, into a foundation for a new mangrove island ecosystem in the Guayas Delta.
• The project utilized a year-long field investigation and hydrodynamic modelling to ensure that mangroves could grow in repurposed sediments and that the island structure could withstand waves and currents.
• The initiative integrated local communities through co-creation, the appointment of a community relations officer, and training in sustainable aquaculture and eco-tourism to ensure long-term stewardship of the ecosystem.
• Scaling nature-based restoration efforts requires an enabling environment consisting of policy reform, cross-sector collaboration, and specific financial mechanisms such as biodiversity credits, blue bonds, and Payment for Ecosystem Services schemes.

APA

Ligot, V. S. N. (2025). What a unique approach to marine restoration can teach about tackling biodiversity loss. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/what-a-unique-approach-to-marine-restoration-can-teach-about-tackling-biodiversity-loss/

Chicago

Ligot, Vicky Stratigaki, Noa. What a unique approach to marine restoration can teach about tackling biodiversity loss. World Economic Forum, 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/what-a-unique-approach-to-marine-restoration-can-teach-about-tackling-biodiversity-loss/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ligot |first1=Vicky Stratigaki, Noa |title=What a unique approach to marine restoration can teach about tackling biodiversity loss |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=18 November 2025 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/what-a-unique-approach-to-marine-restoration-can-teach-about-tackling-biodiversity-loss/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ligot2025what, author = {Ligot, Vicky Stratigaki, Noa}, title = {{What a unique approach to marine restoration can teach about tackling biodiversity loss}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/what-a-unique-approach-to-marine-restoration-can-teach-about-tackling-biodiversity-loss/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }