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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

FormationPolygonsArea (ha)ShareMean patch (ha)
Mangrove3,09070,791.8100.0%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

DatasetFeaturesRepairedScore
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia2,2940100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia3,3630100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, The Gambia2,5160100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia2,0020100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia2,4790100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, The Gambia3,2540100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, The Gambia3,0900100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, The Gambia3,0630100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, The Gambia2,9420100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, The Gambia3,3210100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, The Gambia3,2280100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, The Gambia3,4640100
Fibre Cable Landing Stations126095
Power Plants (Power output MW)642095
Dams2,586095
Districts6,0991395
World Database on Protected Areas7,438195
Electricity Transmission Network9,759095
Irrigated Areas23,095195
Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): The Gambia2090
Community and nature projects (UNDP): The Gambia12090

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

DatasetPublisherFeatures
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,294
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,363
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,516
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,002
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,479
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,254
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,090
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,063
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)2,942
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,321
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,228
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, The GambiaGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)3,464
Fibre Cable Landing StationsWWF Kenya126
Power Plants (Power output MW)WWF Kenya642
DamsWWF Kenya2,586
DistrictsWWF Kenya6,099
World Database on Protected AreasWWF Kenya7,438
Electricity Transmission NetworkWWF Kenya9,759
Irrigated AreasWWF Kenya23,095
Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): The GambiaUN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT2
Community and nature projects (UNDP): The GambiaUnited 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.
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