What an Ivorian community gave up to protect their mangroves
Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing PlanetShow Notes
Mangroves are money-makers in coastal Côte d’Ivoire. And the fish you can cook with the smoke from their branches are delicious. But the very practice of cutting down the trees to burn put the fish in danger. So people like Jean-Claude Kaké have had to make a choice: Do you keep cutting the trees to make money in order to feed your family? Or do you forgo the cash for a future that might take years to appear?
More from Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet
In this episode, host Ivy Prosper takes us to Kamonaayili in northern Ghana, where farmers are using biochar, made from burned plant waste, to improve soil fertility, retain moisture and increase crop yields. We hear from farmers of different generations about how this nature-based solution is helping families improve food security, build financial independence and invest in their children’s futures. As harvests improve, young people are finding new opportunities in farming, and some who left the community are returning home.
What if restoring mangroves could help bring fish back to a community?
In the Volta region of Ghana, the coastal community of Vodja has already lost 90% of its land mass to rapid sea erosion. Nestled precariously between a lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, residents are refusing to let the water claim the rest of their homes. Host Ivy Prosper travels to the shoreline to meet the local committee turning to a nature-based shield—massive coconut plantations—to stabilize the sand, reclaim their beach, and hold back the rising tide.
Season 4 of Nature Answers will be in your feed THIS Thursday! More about Nature Answers: Rural Stories from a Changing Planet at farmradio.org/natureanswers
In this episode, we sit down with a key project coordinator to explore the vital intersection of community radio, climate resilience, and rural collaboration. Our guest unpacks their precise role within the Movement for Impact and Sustainable Action (MISA) and the Nature-Based Solutions project. We learn how they manage relationships with local broadcasters—including Breeze FM—and coordinate rural listening groups. The conversation clarifies the geographic reach of these initiatives, detailing how check-ins are conducted across Eastern Province to ensure high engagement and reliable feedback loops.