SAVE OUR MANGROVES NOW!
We work in partnership to reverse the decline of mangrove habitats in the West Indian Ocean and across the globe in an effort to restore biodiversity, protect livelihoods and mitigate against the impacts of the climate crisis.
Survival artists, nature’s kindergarten, climate savers – mangroves are versatile superheroes. They are habitat and nursery for over 3,000 fish species, can store 3 to 5 times more carbon per area than tropical upland forests and provide livelihoods for over 120 million people.
But this unique ecosystem is under threat - more than a third of all mangrove forests have disappeared since the mid-20th century due to agriculture, logging and urbanization. If present deforestation rates continue, all mangroves could be lost by the end of this century.
MANGROVES MATTER
BIODIVERSITY HERO
Our vision is a world in which thriving mangrove habitats exist in harmony with the communities they support.
With a focus on the Western Indian Ocean, the Save Our Mangroves Now initiative unites governments, conservation specialists and coastal communities through a shared goal to conserve and restore mangrove habitats.
We combine our vision with a mission to facilitate policies, programmes and investments that regenerate mangrove ecosystems, tackle climate change and sustain livelihoods.
Our goal is to embed and strengthen ambitious objectives on mangrove conservation in international and national political agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Paris Agreement. The UN decades on Ocean Science and Ecosystem Restoration present additional global frameworks for accelerating action on sustainable mangrove management.
With the elaboration of the post-2020 strategic framework of the CBD, the upcoming Global Stocktake and Ocean Dialogue under the Paris Agreement, and the expiration of several targets under SDG14 (Life Below Water), it is vital that marine and coastal nature-based solutions such as mangroves gain importance in political decision making.
We provide guidance for decision makers on why and how to protect mangroves – for securing livelihoods, conserving biodiversity and addressing climate change.
And we call on them for action.
International policy
We believe that a regional approach is needed to effectively halt mangrove loss and support the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region to become a champion in mangrove conservation. Our engagement with a variety of stakeholders – from academics to law professionals, field developers, government officials, policymakers and representatives of the private sector – facilitates exchange and supports regional networks, paving the way for mainstreaming mangrove conservation into national strategies.
We support capacity development in the Western Indian Ocean, following the needs identified by the regional stakeholders themselves. Measures include undertaking assessments of national legal frameworks and the socio-economic value of mangroves in the region, as well as mapping mangrove extent to determine future losses and gains.
We also support lighthouse projects to foster innovation, identify best practices, and bridge the science-policy gap – for example in Kenya, where we engaged the mapping and assessment of carbon stocks in Lamu´s mangroves. At the same time, and together with our partners, we prepare the ground to integrate the results into national policy.
National policy and regional cooperation
Our political goals, and ultimately their implementation on the ground, can only be achieved through broad cooperation with a large array of stakeholders. One of our essential tasks is therefore to build and facilitate partnerships with actors at all levels, to make sure that mangroves are recognized for the benefits they provide to people and nature, and that their protection receives adequate attention and funding.
We support the broad and ambitious approach of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA), which brings together leading conservation NGOs and provides a strategic platform for the global alignment of mangrove agendas. In the Western Indian Ocean, our natural partner is the WIO Mangrove Network, which holds the biggest expertise and experience on mangrove conservation and restoration.
Knowledge exchange is a crucial factor of successful cooperation. We are dedicated to creating opportunities for exchange, improving knowledge accessibility for all stakeholders, and helping close existing knowledge gaps on mangrove protection.
Partnerships
Publications
Reports
Mangrove forests are some of the most complex and awe-inducing ecosystems in the world. About 5% of the 14.5 million hectares of mangroves worldwide are located in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. Within that region, 99% of mangroves – some 745,518 ha – are found in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania. Mangrove forests provide immense value to the coastal communities within these countries. In addition to being a source of food – providing nurseries and habitat for fish and crustaceans amongst a wealth of other species – mangroves maintain the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people across the region, supporting industries such as fishing, beekeeping and tourism. This report offers an overview of our work, bringing together data on extent, loss and gains, and the socio-economic value of mangroves in the region, as well as governance challenges and policy opportunities.
OUR LATEST STUDY
International WWF Centre of Marine Conservation
Mönckebergstr. 27
20095 Hamburg
Germany
Ana Colorado McEvoy
Wetlands International | Global Office
P.O. Box 471, 6700 AL
Wageningen, The Netherlands
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development 8BMZ
Dahlmannstraße 4
53113 Bonn
Germany
