Mangrove forests continue to decline

Ecosystem services from mangroves, although providing and supporting livelihoods worth at least $ 1.6 billion a year for coastal residents, are disappearing at a rapid rate, averaging about 1 %/year. Even in some areas, this figure is up to 2-8%.

Statistics from the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that since 1980, the area of ​​mangroves has been lost from 20 to 35%. The highest rate of deforestation is in developing countries, where mangroves are often cut down to plan coastal development, aquaculture, timber or fuel production. And within a century, the area and quality of mangrove forests have decreased so much that they are thought to be losing their inherent functions.

Mangroves have many threats

Converting use purpose

The increase in coastal population is one of the causes that significantly narrowed the area of ​​mangroves. In India, the increased population has led to the conversion of more than 40% of the West Sea forest area into an agricultural and urbanized region.

Particularly, shrimp farming has contributed to a decline of 38% of the global mangrove forest area, other aquaculture activities continue to disappear 14% of the forest area. Not to mention, excessive logging and firewood also caused about 26% of the mangrove forest to disappear.

Global warming

Mangroves often demonstrate resilience and resilience when faced with different environmental conditions. However, the increase in temperature due to climate change can cause mangrove forests to be degraded and unable to recover.

The reason is that high temperatures increase evaporation and salinity in the coastal soil. This can result in death of the germ inside the mangrove forest or reducing diversity in these forest areas.

Sea level rise

This is considered the biggest threat to the future of mangroves. Meanwhile, in the twentieth century alone, global sea level rose from 12-22cm.

If mangroves are prevented from developing inland to adapt to sea level rise, they will be submerged. In case the mangroves have conditions to develop deep into the land, they can cause negative impacts on human life. Because of the nature of mangroves is the development of the sea, not the direction of the shore - which provides great environmental services for the fishing industry and for coastal protection.

Natural disasters

The impact of storms on mangrove systems has been verified in Honduras. Storms can devastate and deform mangroves like the mangroves in Everglades National Park (USA) have become mudflats after only two storms, Andrew, 1992 and Wilma, 2005

Mangroves are disappearing at an average rate of about 1% per year.(Photo: sundarbansafaris.com)

Prevent deforestation rather than forest regeneration

While economic demand makes more and more mangrove forests disappear to make room for urbanization and aquaculture areas, the burden on coastal land managers also increases due to consideration. only the value of ecological services that mangroves provide, but also their potential value in the future.

A study in Thailand found that deforestation is clearly more cost effective than reforestation. Because the cost of protecting mangroves in the last decade was only 189 USD / ha, while the cost of forest regeneration was 946 USD / ha.

In order to prevent mangrove degradation and loss, framework policy, unified regulations and regulatory frameworks in coastal areas should cover all sectors and sectors and entice all Stakeholders.

In countries like Tanzania or Malaysia, mangroves are included in the forest reserve area, under state ownership. In many places in Australia and the United States, the local government applies a 'no loss' policy , which sets specific limits for protecting mangrove forests. These measures are seen to be effective in the long term if authorities are really aggressive in enacting laws, promoting enforcement and aggressively handling violations.

Besides legal sanctions, many economic solutions have been proposed to limit the conversion of the purpose of using mangrove forests. For example, forms of payment for forest environmental services can encourage and motivate people to protect forests.

In addition, initiatives and funds investing in carbon trading from mangroves can also be an economic solution that not only benefits the community but also contributes to protecting natural resources. Of course, helping humankind better respond to climate change.