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ATLAS REPORT
Country report: The Gambia
Generated 15 October 2026, 04:06 from live Atlas data
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Executive summary
Atlas holds 84,775 mapped features and 37,971 observations in 21 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 70,792 ha in 3,090 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.174 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 97.6% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 3,090 | 70,791.8 | 100.0% | 22.91 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia | 2,294 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia | 3,363 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, The Gambia | 2,516 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia | 2,002 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia | 2,479 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, The Gambia | 3,254 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia | 3,090 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia | 3,063 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia | 2,942 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, The Gambia | 3,321 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, The Gambia | 3,228 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia | 3,464 | 0 | 100 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | 642 | 0 | 95 |
| Dams | 2,586 | 0 | 95 |
| Districts | 6,099 | 13 | 95 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | 7,438 | 1 | 95 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | 9,759 | 0 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): The Gambia | 2 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): The Gambia | 12 | 0 | 90 |
Recommendations
High 13 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Seagrass, Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Carbon Projects, Protected Areas & Landscapes, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 7 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
39.8% of the 3,090 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 97.6% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Low Net gain of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 62,776 ha of mangrove in The Gambia in 1996 and 71,236 ha in 2025: a net gain of 8,459 ha (13.5%), about 292 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,294 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,363 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,516 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,002 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,479 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,254 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,090 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,063 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 2,942 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,321 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,228 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 3,464 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | WWF Kenya | 642 |
| Dams | WWF Kenya | 2,586 |
| Districts | WWF Kenya | 6,099 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 7,438 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | WWF Kenya | 9,759 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): The Gambia | UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT | 2 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): The Gambia | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 12 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.