The #MangroveNote on biodiversity

As the world deals with the most pressing threats to biodiversity, mangroves are often part of the solution along tropical coasts. The unique role of the mangrove forest as the interface between coastal and terrestrial ecosystems enables it to provide a wide array of habitats for many different species. 

The UN Biodiversity Conference meets in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt over the next few weeks, and it comes immediately following the release of two important pieces of scientific analysis—the window is closing to limit global warming and we’ve lost 60% of the world’s wildlife since 1970. 

Saving mangroves can contribute to climate change solutions and provide habitat for at-risk species.

Realizing the potential for mangrove restoration

With high levels of deforestation and degradation, restoration is increasingly seen as a critical component of both mangrove conservation and wise coastal management – a genuine ‘win-win’ opportunity. 

While we can’t strictly plant our way out of mangrove declines, globally there is the potential for restoring enough trees to cover Singapore 10 times over, according to a new tool released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and The Nature Conservancy.

In total there are 105 countries and territories where mangroves can be restored, which could contribute to the storage of an extra 69 million tons of carbon in above-ground biomass and would also help to avoid further emissions of some 296 million tons of soil carbon.

Our friends at Nature4Climate have a must-read on the power of the mighty mangrove, which goes well beyond the climate connection.

Making a smart investment in mangroves

Restoration and conservation projects have been underway for years in many communities. Results have been mixed. Lack of sustainable finance, beyond an initial project implementation cycle, is often cited as a reason for long-term project failure. 

A new report by the Save Our Mangroves Now! initiative, co-led by WWF-Germany and IUCN and supported by BMZ, provides guidance on making mangrove conservation investments more sustainable and impactful.