gabon is home to half the mangroves in the gulf of guinea.play a vital role in the fight against rising sea levels. the marshy land acts like a sponge, creating a natural flood barrier. but scientists here are concerned that gabon‘s rush towards urban development could negatively impact the environment. translation: today, people are building on riverbeds and they're destroying wetlands such as mangrove forests. we are exposing ourselves to more and more natural disasters, and we risk ending up with conflict over land. and it's notjust the environment that could lose out. this recently cleared land was once mangrove forest. the area floods in heavy rains, making it unsafe for construction. but in this suburb north of libreville, despite legislation protecting natural areas, new land is an opportunity for new buildings. it is shocking because, of course, we should not be in a situation where people are building structures without permission in places that are unsafe. in this case, we are dealing with one or more people who are building on publ