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Thoughts on the 2018 Ramsar COP from Dorothee Herr, IUCN Global Marine Program The Ramsar Secretary General and the IUCN Director General invited Parties and Delegates to the Ramsar COP13 to a special side event “ UN Ocean Conference Community of Ocean Action on Mangroves: Progress and Opportunities ”. The Ramsar Secretariat and IUCN Director General both serve as focal points for the SDG 14 Mangrove Community of Ocean Action . The event was supported by Save our Mangroves Now!, a joint mangrove initiative from BMZ, WWF Germany, and IUCN.   Opening remarks were made by Ambassador Peter Thomson, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Convention Secretary General, , Stewart Maginnis, Global Director – Nature-based Solutions Group(IUCN) . and Elizabeth Marema, Law and Conventions Division UNEP. Left to right: Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP; Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean; Martha Rojas Urrego, Ramsar Secretary General; and Stewart Maginnis, Global Director IUCN. Photo by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon Ambassador Thomson highlighted the critical role of mangrove ecosystems for coastal and ocean resilience and described the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands as the heartland to support actions for the Community of Ocean Action on mangroves conservation. He encouraged the submission of new voluntary commitments, and urged countries and other stakeholders to update existing ones.   Government representatives from Australia, Brazil, Fiji and Sweden presented insights from already existing voluntary commitments, including actions on restoration, protection and on blue carbon.   Honduras on behalf of the fourteen countries of the Ramsar Regional Initiative for the Conservation and Wise Use of Mangroves and Coral Reefs (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela) described this Initiative and intend to submit it as a new voluntary commitment under SDG 14. The main actions of the initiative include the development of policies and regulations to promote the protection and conservation of mangroves and coral reefs and achieve their effective management through integrated management of watersheds and marine/coastal areas.   The Regional Partnership for the Conservation of the Coastal and Marine Zone of West Africa (Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone) also expressed the goal to submit their work as a voluntary commitment under the UN Ocean Conference Community of Ocean Action on Mangroves. This partnership works on the mobilization of stakeholder awareness and exchange of good practices on the coastal erosion and coastal risk management and the protection of coastal and marine wetlands.   The event underlined the crucial opportunities that the Communities of Ocean Action provides to follow up on the Voluntary Commitments made during the Oceans Conference in June 2017. The event showcased a lot of action and enthusiasm in terms of mangrove conservation, yet the community has and need to offer more.   A mid-term assessment on the submitted and updated Voluntary Commitments is due end of this year.   Left to right:  Ahmed Senhoury , Regional Partnership Initiative of Mangroves and Coral Reefs for Marine and Coastal Conservation in West Africa (PRCM);  Carolina Montalván , Ramsar Regional;  Ana Paula Leite Prates, Brazil; Michael Löfroth , Sweden;  Sandeep Singh , Fiji; Mark Taylor, Australia See more at http://enb.iisd.org/ramsar/cop13/ Twitter @RamsarConv Facebook: @RamsarConventionOnwetlands Instagram: @ Ramsar_Convention_on_wetlands

Combining local and national initiatives to increase efficiency across an ecoregion. Development of a strategy for the conservation and management of mangroves in the Mesoamerican reef ecoregion, a participatory approach led by MAR Fund and the Smithsonian Institution. Written by María José Gonzalez (MAR Fund) and Steven Canty (Smithsonian Institution) resumen en español. The “Regional Strategy for Mangrove Management, Conservation, Restoration and Monitoring in the Mesoamerican Reef 2020-2025” is a guiding platform for shared actions across the four countries that make up the Mesoamerican reef (MAR) ecoregion, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. These actions, coordinated and agreed upon between different key stakeholders of the region, will enable the achievement of realistic and effective conservation goals. A strategic framework promotes coordinated and collaborative actions in the MAR ecoregion. The specific objectives of the strategy are: “Manage, conserve, restore and monitor the mangrove ecosystem in the MAR ecoregion.” “Promote sustainable livelihoods that reduce stress on the mangrove ecosystem.” © María José Gonzalez / MAR Fund “Promote the effective application of legal frameworks that protect the mangrove ecosystem through strengthening of institutions and key stakeholders.” “Strengthen the governance and effective participation of all sectors that are linked to the mangrove ecosystem in the MAR ecoregion.” “Develop a knowledge management, monitoring, and surveillance system of the mangrove ecosystem that feeds the decision-making process of stakeholders in the region.” “Ensure financial resources for the implementation of the strategy, including instruments that promote equity and multiculturality in the MAR ecoregion.” The strategy is available in   English  and  Spanish .

World Wetlands Day 2023 Since our formation, the Global Mangrove Alliance has been an ardent advocate of science-based restoration and protection of mangrove ecosystems. It’s why we co-launched the Mangrove Breakthrough with the UN Climate Champions and 30 other endorsers at the UNFCCC COP27 in November and are expanding our active network through National Chapters, Working Groups, and Membership. Today is Wetlands Day and the theme, determined by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, is “it’s time for wetland restoration”. It is always time for restoration, but as 2030 climate and biodiversity targets draw closer, it’s critical that we keep moving forward on existing efforts and scale up new initiatives to reach our lofty, but achievable, goals. To keep up momentum, our Alliance is continually adding to our suite of global and regional best practice materials for restoring and protecting forests. They are freely available and we encourage their use. They include: Tool: Global Mangrove Watch Brief: Integrating Mangroves into NDCs Brief: Supporting implementation under Ramsar through the Global Mangrove Watch For more policy briefs and implementation guides, look through our Knowledge Hub . In the coming months, our Alliance will be sharing more about implementing the Mangrove Breakthrough, furthering action on the ground, and scaling up our work to reach our 2030 goals.

Wetlands Day 2022 Wetlands Action for People and Nature.  Today’s Wetlands Day theme, chosen by the Convention on Wetlands Secretariat, is an apt one. Wetlands around the world are under the threat of destruction from infrastructure development, resource extraction, and climate change. As a result, an incredible range of biodiversity, such as the  tigers in the Sundarbans , and human lives and livelihoods are at risk. Mangrove ecosystems are unfortunately no exception. There are still news stories every month of mangroves being cut down or damaged by extreme weather events, like 2021 hurricanes  Eta and Iota . However, there is reason for optimism. Deforestation and destruction have slowed in recent years and we continue to gain clearer understanding of mangroves, as evidenced in  The State of the World’s Mangroves  report. By protecting these coastal trees, all the benefits of mangroves to people and nature are preserved. Additionally, mangroves’ powerful ability to store tons of carbon out of the atmosphere provides a needed boost towards efforts to slow climate change. Our Alliance has been taking action to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems around the world since 2018 by developing science, policy change, sustainable financing, and local capacity, and by supporting alternate livelihoods. You can take action and help us in our mission to save mangroves this Wetlands Day through the following: Fill out the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group’s  Mangrove Priority Questions survey  and tell us your priorities in mangrove science and management. For scientists, managers, and policy/decision-makers Visit the  Global Mangrove Watch  platform and learn about the power of mangrove wetlands around the world. Use our  Tools & Resources hub  to discover techniques and strategies for funding and restoring long-term restoration and conservation projects in mangrove forests. Keep up with the latest mangrove news on our  Twitter ,  LinkedIn , and  Facebook  pages. Read our member initiative updates in our full newsletter for more actions you can take and to learn about ongoing projects. © WWF / Martina Lippuner

Governments can do better on climate by making mangroves part of the solution Only 1 in 3 mangrove countries account for them in nationally determined contributions. That’s an opportunity ripe for climate action. The United Nations  calls Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, “the heart of the Paris Agreement.” These commitments set out how each government will help its people adapt to climate change and what will be done to reduce emissions. And mangroves have a role to play. deforestation of mangroves between 2000 and 2012 emitted as much CO2 as roughly 69 million cars produce annually While it is true that mangrove trees cover a much smaller area than tropical forests, mangroves can sequester up to 3-4 more carbon on an area basis than their terrestrial counterparts. The deforestation of mangroves between 2000 and 2012 emitted as much CO2 as roughly 69 million cars produce annually ( this is my own “back of the envelope” calculation and by no means scientifically robust, just for some perspective ). But of the 110+ countries with mangroves only 28 countries’ NDCs include a reference to coastal wetlands in terms of mitigation , while 59 countries include coastal ecosystems and the coastal zone into their adaptation strategies . According to an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America , wetlands offer 14% of the mitigation potential from nature and 19% of “natural climate solutions.” As the world convenes for an urgently needed  Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, government officials have an opportunity to lead the charge toward reversing mangrove declines. It’s part of the climate solution, provides protection for biodiversity, and reinforces the security of millions living in coastal communities.

2021 Press Release New report shows slowdown in mangrove losses–providing a ‘last best chance’ for global action to protect coastal forests. JULY 26—Today the Global Mangrove Alliance released their inaugural report, The State of the World’s Mangroves , a compilation of the most current information available on what we know about mangrove forests and what’s being done to reverse the downward trends impacting the forests and the local communities who depend on them. Due primarily to human-caused deforestation, some 4.3% of mangroves were lost globally in the two decades leading up to 2016, with much larger losses prior to that. Today there are 136,000km2 of mangroves remaining world-wide—an area about the size of Costa Rica—and nearly 20% of these forests are found in Indonesia. This publication represents a remarkable synthesis, 100 authors from around the world (over 40 locales) have come together, sharing cutting edge science and compelling stories. The narrative they tell, for the first time, is that we now have the knowledge to turn things around for these critical ecosystems. We know the problems, but we also know the solutions. The challenge is turning these solutions into actions, by swaying leaders at all levels of society to protect the mangroves still standing and restore what has been lost. “We are at a nexus. Science has provided us with compelling numbers describing the immense value of mangroves to people – for carbon, climate adaptation, fish, timber, coastal protection, tourism, and more. The State of the World’s Mangroves report lays a clear message for world leaders convening on climate and biodiversity. Mangroves are a great asset but if we fail to properly value and protect them, we’ll lose more than any financial investment that’s been made in mangroves to date. This is our last best chance to create positive, lasting change,” said Mark Spalding , Lead Marine Scientist for The Nature Conservancy. The State of the World’s Mangroves draws on maps from Global Mangrove Watch , an online platform that provides access to a variety of datasets detailing mangrove values, threats and opportunities for conservation and restoration. The report’s highlights: Humans are responsible for over 60% of mangrove loss. Primary causes include conversion to farmland, agriculture and/ or urbanization Around 42% of all remaining mangroves exist in designated protected areas 341 threatened species depend on mangrove habitat Some 4.1 million small-scale fishers depend on mangroves Mangroves prevent more than $65 billion in property damages from storms and reduce flood risk to some 15 million people every year Mangroves are the most efficient carbon capture and storage systems on the planet. They currently store carbon that’s equivalent to over 21 billion tons of CO2 UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean Ambassador Peter Thomson wrote the report’s foreword warning how quickly mangroves could be lost beyond our ability to bring them back. “If their demise is a crime against nature, then surely it’s also a crime against the best interests of humanity,” Ambassador Thomson warned. “In sharing the challenges confronting coastal communities, and working together for coastal resilience, the Global Mangrove Alliance will no doubt play an important role in both the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, both of which got underway this year.” he added. “Conserving and restoring mangroves at scale depends on collaboration, and innovative partnerships like this one are critical to meeting the global challenge. By directly linking the needs and the experiences of local and indigenous peoples with cutting-edge science, together we can help drive the most forward-thinking national and international policies,” said Karen Douthwaite , Lead Specialist, Oceans for WWF. “This publication has raised the voices of coastal communities, who often have the most to lose from mangrove loss but also have the most to contribute towards long term mangrove management and restoration. These communities have built up a wealth of knowledge of how to manage, protect, and restore mangroves. By working with communities, we can safeguard and restore the world’s mangroves and improved the livelihoods of coastal people” said Leah Glass, Technical Advisor for Mangroves and Blue Carbon for Blue Ventures. The Global Mangrove Alliance released the report in anticipation of critical convenings including the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Convention on Biological Diversity COP15, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26. Alliance members are calling on local and national government leaders to accelerate their efforts to protect and restore mangroves and challenging the private sector to increase investment in keeping mangroves standing. Read the full report here . About the GMA In 2018, Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wetlands International, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) formed the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA). Today, over 25 member organizations share the twin goals of restoring and recovering 50% of recent mangrove loss and doubling the area of mangroves under effective and equitable protection and management.

New report shows greater mangrove coverage than previously known; but efforts still must maintain momentum against irreversible climate change by restoring, halting loss, and protecting remaining forest. September 21, 2022 —Today the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) released their annual report, The State of the World’s Mangroves 2022 , a compilation of the most current information available on what we know about mangrove forests and what’s being done to reverse the downward trends impacting the coastal trees and the local communities who depend on them. We now have access to more extensive and reliable knowledge via data updates to Global Mangrove Watch maps–the evidence base informing the Global Mangrove Alliance–that brings coverage from 2016 up to 2020. With this new insight, we can now say that there are 147,000km2 of mangroves remaining worldwide, an area about the size of Bangladesh. The same maps show loss and gains over time. A net 5,245km2 of mangrove forest has been lost since 1996, driven by a combination of direct human impacts such as clearance and conversion, but also by harder to manage changes driven by erosion, inundation, or storms. While average losses over the last decade have fallen to 0.04% per year and there have been considerable gains in river mouths and deltas, action is still a priority to halt further loss, protect what remains, and restore what has been lost. Determination to safeguard mangroves is growing at all levels of society but more can still be done. It is increasingly clear that national and local stakeholders will be the catalyst in implementing improved management, conservation, and restoration of mangroves. This understanding has led the GMA to develop a new initiative, National Chapters. Chapters in eight countries are now bringing together GMA members and local partners on the ground with the ambition to connect the broader GMA goals to a targeted local context. “The 2022 edition of The State of the World’s Mangroves describes a surge in our understanding of mangroves globally and multiple points of hope: mangrove loss is declining, we know more about protecting these ecosystems than ever before, and partnerships and global awareness are ever stronger. The tide has yet to turn on loss but we are dedicated to maintaining momentum to support mangrove forests to minimize the impacts of irreversible climate change and the wider biodiversity crisis.” said Mark Spalding, Senior Marine Scientist for The Nature Conservancy. The report’s highlights: Preventing just 1% of mangrove loss results in two hundred million tons of carbon locked away. Restoration of losses since 1996 could safeguard carbon in soil and aboveground biomass equivalent to 1.27gigatons of CO2– equating to over 520 million barrels of oil, or the annual emissions of 49 million cars in the USA. The GMA goal of “restoring half” of the 8,183km2 of restorable area by 2030, particularly in Southeast Asia, could result in an additional 25 billion commercial marine fish and shellfish and benefit 1 million small-scale fishers and countless communities that rely on mangroves for their livelihoods. Mangroves prevent more than $65 billion in property damages from storms and reduce flood risk to some 15 million people every year Mangroves are the most efficient carbon capture and storage systems on the planet. They currently store carbon that’s equivalent to over 21 billion tons of CO2 Nigel Topping and Mahmoud Mohieldin, High Level Climate Champions appointed under the UN Climate Convention, wrote the The State of the World’s Mangroves’ foreword, stating:“This scientific report is clear: if we want to implement the promises made at COP26 and raise the level of ambition to meet the Paris Agreement, we must look to mangroves. The climate and the adaptive capacity and resilience of millions of people living on the coasts depend on it.” Nadia Bood, Senior Program Officer, Marine Science and Climate Change with WWF-Mesoamerica and co-lead of the GMA Belize National Chapter said:“Mangroves are coastal guardians and cost-effective nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. Collaboration and innovative partnerships at both the global level through the Global Mangrove Alliance and local level through the Belize National Chapter are critical to meeting national and global climate and biodiversity goals.” Lammert Hilarides, Senior Technical Officer with Wetlands International said:“We understand the benefits of healthy mangrove ecosystems for climate mitigation and resilience against extreme weather. We know where mangroves are most at risk and where they can best be restored, and we know how to revitalize them by using the principles of ‘ecological mangrove restoration’ and local knowledge. We just need the political and financial will, with all hands on deck, to safeguard and intelligently restore these incredibly valuable ecosystems for the good of humanity and nature.” The Global Mangrove Alliance released the report in anticipation of critical convenings including, New York climate week, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the UNFCCC climate COP27, and Convention on Biological Diversity COP16. Alliance members are calling on local and national government leaders to accelerate their efforts to protect and restore mangroves and challenging the private sector to increase investment in keeping mangroves standing. About the GMA In 2018, Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wetlands International (WI), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) formed the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA). Today, over 30 member organizations share a goal that brings together three critical strands of mangrove conservation: 1. Halt loss. Reduce net mangrove losses driven by direct human actions to zero. 2. Restore half. Put back mangroves to cover at least half of all recent loss. 3. Double protection. Ensure long-term secure protection is increased from 40% to 80% of remaining mangroves.

This Earth Day arrives amid conflict and global health and climate crises. Still, there are continued glimmers of hope for the future of our planet. In the last few months, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released two intermediary reports on the state of global climate. Overall outcomes look dire, however, there is still time to limit climate change to 1.5°C if immediate action is taken to restore and protect ecosystems, reduce carbon emissions, and improve energy efficiency. Mangrove ecosystems are mentioned in both reports, highlighted as strong nature-based solutions to help wildlife and communities mitigate and adapt to climate change, but also as at-risk for climate change related impacts like sea level rise and groundwater salinization. So how do we keep climate change to 1.5°C, invest in our ecosystems, protect and restore mangroves, and sustain benefits for people and nature? The good news is that we have the best science knowledge to date, and more people and organizations committed to slowing climate change than ever before. In the Global Mangrove Alliance  Knowledge Hub  alone, we have almost 200 resources, from fact sheets and infographics to policy and management guidelines that detail best practices and case studies from around the world. Some of our resources include: The  Global Mangrove Watch  data mapping platform, containing data on mangrove extent, change, blue carbon and more, Restoration manuals, like  this one  for the Mesoamerican region, and Guiding principles  on sustainable mangrove ecosystem management for policy decision-makers. This summer, we’ll share updates on a new tool to improve mangrove management and restoration, an update to The State of the World’s Mangroves report series, and a look ahead to the full IPCC Synthesis Report and the UNFCCC COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Read the full Earth Day newsletter here .

A new overarching perspective brings together scientists to solve a mangrove conservation problem —too many datasets, each interrelated but designed for different purposes. Mangroves support many unique species and provide a wide range of benefits for coastal communities, such as protection from extreme weather and a source of sustainable resources . They also store large volumes of carbon —helping to reduce the impact of climate change. Utilizing satellite data helps both scientists and conservationists understand these benefits. While mangrove data has significantly improved over the last 40 years because of increased access to satellite imagery and computing power, the abundance of data—each with different constraints—can become overwhelming. A lack of consistency among datasets also makes it difficult to see big picture trends and find areas that need management attention. A new paper — “Harnessing Big Data to Support the Conservation and Rehabilitation of Mangrove Forests Globally” — has just published in the journal One Earth and addresses this mangrove data challenge. The paper, led by Dr. Tom Worthington of the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with Global Mangrove Alliance members and other mangrove researchers, holds a wealth of information to guide scientists and conservationists through all available global mangrove data. Figure 1. A Roadmap of the Interconnectedness between Global Mangrove Datasets. Pale-blue rectangles, baseline products; green circles, secondary datasets; beige hexagons, analyses of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Arrows represent the integration of products into new datasets rather than casual links between data. The paper gives an overview of existing and upcoming datasets, the challenges of using this data for on-the-ground management — including informing the future of mangrove conservation — and provides an introduction to a new data platform that is expected to greatly improve data access and ease of use: the Global Mangrove Watch . By improving ease of access to mangrove data, this paper aims to help at all scales of mangrove conservation. Local NGOs can look for hotspots of degradation or restoration potential, as can global organizations who work on policy improvements and advocate to governments for the protection of mangroves under sustainable development goals. The full paper is published in the journal One Earth and is available with open access here .

Mangrove Optimism A new Correspondence paper released in Current Biology Magazine gathers together evidence of the positive impact that 22 mangrove researchers have seen over the course of their conservation work. The wide author collaboration is, in part, a result of networking and sharing of ideas and information at the 2019 MMM5 (Mangrove, Macrobenthos, and Management) conference which was attended by several Global Mangrove Alliance members. We are proud that some of the authors represent our Alliance and maintain a hopeful attitude for a bright mangrove future. Here are just a few of the reasons the authors give to be optimistic about mangroves: “Globally, mangrove loss rates have reduced by an order of magnitude between the late 20th and early 21st century, from ~2% to <0.4% per year…[due to] improved monitoring and data access, changing industrial practices, expanded management and protection, inaccessibility of remaining intact mangrove forests, greater application of community-based management, increased focus on rehabilitation, and stronger recognition of the ecosystem services provided by mangroves.” “It is clear that mangrove conservation has gained substantial momentum , with greater public and government awareness leading to increased investment and on-the-ground action.” © WWF-Malaysia / Mazidi Abd Ghani “… socio-political challenges are not insurmountable , and addressing them through robust policy engagement and stakeholder participation, while time-consuming, could unlock more than 800 000 hectares of land that are potentially suitable for rehabilitation.” “Maintaining momentum in mangrove conservation and management can continue to reduce the rate of mangrove loss while potentially gaining new areas through rehabilitation.” “Capitalizing on successes in one ecosystem and transferring this knowledge can help us limit broader environmental degradation, making mangroves an important and positive case study for the Conservation Optimism movement.” The full correspondence is available here .

World Wetlands Day 2026. Interest in protecting mangrove ecosystems is increasing. Yet, ecological, social and economic settings are all unique. This is why proper conservation and restoration efforts need to be paired with an understanding of the local context. This year’s World Wetlands Day theme is “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage." This theme spotlights the link between community stewardship, wetland conservation and indigenous knowledge.   People have called mangrove areas home for millennia, making use of their many goods and direct benefits, and often holding a key place for them in local cultures and traditions. Only communities most proximate can provide a holistic view of the mangrove ecosystem. Their traditional practices and generational knowledge is a vital asset for maintaining mangroves. Local villager Jeffrey Laia in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. © Mark Godfrey To showcase these perspectives, we have put together over twenty real-world case studies that harness the power of local ecological knowledge in mangrove restoration and conservation. T his year’s World Wetlands Day also happens to mark the two year publication anniversary of “ Including Local Ecological Knowledge in Mangrove Restoration & Conservation .” We encourage you to explore this GMA guide, especially researchers and practitioners, so that you have a deeper understanding for how to properly include local ecological knowledge in your projects. Local Ecological Knowledge Defined Local Ecological Knowledge “The knowledge, practices, and beliefs gained through extensive personal observation of, and interaction with local ecosystems, and shared among local resource users”. Traditional Ecological Knowledge “A cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment”. Indigenous Knowledge “Knowledge and know-how accumulated across generations, which guide [Indigenous] human societies in their innumerable interactions with their surrounding environment”. Academic Ecological Knowledge (AEK) “Driven by theoretical models and hypothesis testing and generated using the scientific method”. “Generated through a strict and universally accepted set of rules informed by academic disciplines (e.g., ecology, biology, or forestry) and by the scientific method”. Explore the complete Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) Guide here.

Mangrove forests are some of the most complex and awe-inducing ecosystems in the world. Arising in the intertidal zone between land and sea, these miraculous forests grow in challenging conditions. The trees take root in soils that are waterlogged and oxygen-poor, alternately submerged and exposed to the air as the tide rises and falls. In these seemingly impossible circumstances, they not only survive but thrive. And in turn, they help us thrive too. 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. The unmatched high density of mangrove wood is often relied on for fuel and for construction materials. In addition, mangroves perform essential ecosystem services such as water filtration, nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and shoreline protection – acting as a buffer for storms by trapping sediment and dissipating waves. “Mangroves are superheroes, a triple dividend of resilience, biodiversity gain and people. Protecting and conserving them is essential for achieving multiple goals and targets towards the 2050 vision for biodiversity. They are our roots of hope – it is time that their importance is widely recognised.” Minna Epps, Head of IUCN Ocean Team Centre of Conservation Action This report offers an overview of the work by the Save our Mangroves Now! (SOMN) initiative in the region to date, bringing together data on extent, loss and gains, and the socio-economicvalue of mangroves in the region, as well as governance challenges and policy opportunities. We hope this will support national efforts and inform the development of a regional mangrove action plan in the Western Indian Ocean region, enabling coordinated and collective action on mangrove conservation and restoration. In addition, we created the guiding principles on sustainable mangrove ecosystem management and aspire for them to guide the design of collective action at the national and regional level in the Western Indian Ocean region and beyond. We find ourselves at a critical moment in the global effort to secure a healthy and prosperous future for people and nature, as countries around the world – including those spotlighted in this report – come together to take stock of their national efforts towards the global agreement on limiting global warming and adopting a global action plan for restoring nature by 2030. Now more than ever, it is essential that actors at all levels – from local to regional to international – pool knowledge and resources in order to reach our collective goals. We areencouraged to witness the leadership of the Western Indian Ocean region to protect these precious ecosystems that sustain life in myriad ways, and we hope it will inspire other regions to unite under a shared vision to protect and restore mangroves: our #RootsofHope .