“Half of the World’s Mangrove Forests at Risk of Collapse: Expert Assessment Reveals Urgent Threats”
Half of all the world’s mangrove forests are facing the risk of collapse, according to a groundbreaking assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This analysis, the first of its kind, highlights the alarming rate at which these crucial ecosystems and carbon stores are deteriorating due to human activities.
The study identified mangroves in southern India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives as the most vulnerable, with systems in the South China Sea, central Pacific, and the eastern Coral Triangle also classified as endangered. Angela Andrade, the chair of the IUCN commission on ecosystem management, emphasized the vital role mangroves play in providing essential services such as coastal disaster-risk reduction, carbon storage, and support for fisheries.
Mangroves, found along tropical coastlines worldwide, are home to a diverse range of species and act as nurseries for fish while supporting mammals like tigers, African wild dogs, and sloths. These ecosystems store a significant amount of carbon, drawing in nearly three times the amount stored by tropical forests of the same size.
Despite covering only 15% of the world’s coastlines, mangroves are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels, agricultural expansion, coastal developments, pollution from oil spills, and the impacts of dam construction. Previous research has identified prawn farms, coastal development, and altered sediment flow from dam construction as contributing factors to mangrove loss.
The study, which involved over 250 experts globally, used the IUCN’s tools for assessing ecosystem risk to determine the extent of the threat to mangroves. Andrade highlighted the importance of reversing mangrove loss to protect these delicate ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity, combat climate change, and support the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Mangroves in Hawaii and south-east Polynesia were not included in the assessment as they are not naturally part of these ecosystems. The findings underscore the urgent need for conservation efforts to preserve mangrove forests and mitigate the detrimental effects of human activities on these vital ecosystems.