Search Results

World Migratory Bird Day 2026 Bar-tailed Godwit 1764 on mudflat in West Africa © Rokyatou Thiam / Wetlands International West Africa Mangrove landscapes are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They protect coastal communities from flooding and erosion, support fisheries by acting as nursery grounds for commercially important fish and crustaceans, store enormous amounts of carbon, provide harvestable resources, create opportunities for ecotourism, and hold deep cultural significance for coastal people. But mangroves are not just valuable for people. They are also biodiversity hotspots. What makes mangrove systems so ecologically rich is the interaction between mangrove forests, tidal creeks, mudflats, salt flats, and open intertidal areas, and in many cases also rivers. Together they form a constantly shifting habitat mosaic shaped by tides, sediment movement, elevation, and salinity. These dynamic landscapes are especially important for migratory shorebirds, which depend on them for feeding, resting, and shelter during some of the longest migrations on the planet. Why Shorebirds Depend on Mangroves One of the strongest links between mangroves and shorebirds is food. Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems. Their dense root systems trap sediments and organic matter, creating ideal conditions for benthic invertebrates such as worms, mollusks, and small crabs. These animals form the foundation of the food web that supports migratory shorebirds. Most shorebirds do not feed inside dense mangrove forests themselves. Instead, they forage on adjacent mudflats exposed during low tide. Mangroves indirectly sustain these feeding grounds by stabilizing sediments, cycling nutrients, and fueling biological productivity. Mangroves also function as nurseries for fish and crustaceans, strengthening the broader coastal food web. Shelter, Safety, and Roosting Habitat Mangroves are important not only for feeding, but also for shelter. During high tide, when mudflats disappear under water, shorebirds often roost in or near mangroves. The vegetation provides protection from predators, wind, and extreme weather. Birds may gather in open spaces within the mangroves, perch on branches, or rest on pneumatophores — the aerial roots characteristic of many mangrove species. The real ecological value lies in the balance: open areas for feeding combined with vegetated areas for refuge and productivity. The Hidden Importance of “Tannes” One particularly important habitat feature for shorebirds in mangrove systems is the presence of tannes — naturally open areas within mangrove landscapes. From a boat in a creek or from the edge of a mudflat, mangroves can appear as an unbroken wall of forest. But inside these systems there are often extensive open zones, or large areas where mangroves occur only as narrow fringes along channels and creeks. These openings exist because local conditions — especially extreme salinity or poor drainage — prevent mangrove trees from growing in those particular spots. Some tannes are fully enclosed by mangroves, while others form open bays connected to the wider intertidal landscape. For shorebirds, these open spaces are extremely valuable. Birds frequently use them for roosting between feeding periods, provided they remain above water during the tidal cycle. As tides rise further, birds move to higher open ground or perch directly on mangrove trees. Shorebirds using mangrove landscape on Bubaque, Bijagos. The distribution clearly shows that the birds mainly use the open areas Too Many Mangroves for Shorebirds? Mangroves are vital ecosystems, but more mangroves are not always better for shorebirds. If mangroves expand into open mudflats — whether naturally or through poorly planned restoration — they can reduce the amount of feeding habitat available to species that depend on bare, unvegetated sediment. Many shorebirds require open visibility to detect predators and access soft sediments rich in prey. Species such as godwits, plovers, curlews, knots, and sandpipers generally avoid dense vegetation when feeding. As a result, different shorebird species respond differently to increasing mangrove cover. Some benefit from additional shelter and productivity, while others lose critical feeding habitat.This means the relationship between mangroves and shorebirds is not a simple one-way benefit. It is a balance. West Africa: a globally important flyway region In 2025, Wetlands International — together with partners including BirdEyes, NIOZ and BirdLife International, and in close collaboration with local organisations — began work on a range of coastal wetland sites in West Africa as part of the Climate Resilient East Atlantic Flyway initiative. Across West Africa, the most important shorebird areas are places where mangroves and intertidal mudflats occur together, such as the Saloum Delta and Casamance in Senegal; the River Gambia estuary; the Bijagós Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s most important shorebird sites; the estuaries and coastal plains of Guinea and Sierra Leone; and the Niger Delta in Nigeria. In parts of the Saloum Delta and Guinea-Bissau, for example, mangrove expansion into tidal flats has already been linked to reduced feeding opportunities for some shorebird species. The evidence increasingly shows that what works best is maintaining a spatial balance: extensive open mudflats for feeding, combined with mangrove belts and patches that sustain productivity, stabilise shorelines, and provide shelter. This is the approach Wetlands International and partners are promoting as the foundation for safeguarding both migratory flyways and local livelihoods in key landscapes, such as the Bijagós Archipelago and the Saloum Delta. Habitat use pattern of shorebirds on Bubaque, Bijagos. The dots represent location fixes for 3 Curlew Sandpipers (yellow, purple and blue), 2 Grey Plovers (lightgreen and black) and 2 Common Redshanks (pink and red) A Healthy Balance is the Key In coastal West Africa, mangroves are essential because they power the food web that supports migratory shorebirds. But the birds themselves depend most directly on the open mudflats beside them. The system only works when both habitats coexist in balance. Lose the mangroves, and the ecosystem loses productivity. Lose the mudflats, and the birds lose their feeding grounds. Protecting migratory shorebirds therefore means protecting the dynamic relationship between the two.

By Rocky Sanchez Tirona, Rare This month marks a pivotal moment for locally-led coastal protection – Coastal 500, the world’s largest network of local government leaders committed to thriving seas and prosperous coastal communities, has surpassed its 500-member goal, with the addition of 105 local government leaders from Indonesia’s Sangihe Islands in North Sulawesi.  As Coastal 500 reaches this pivotal moment, its significance is not just numerical. It reflects a growing global recognition that the future of coastal resilience will be decided not only in national capitals or at international summits, but in municipalities, districts, and villages where people live closest to the sea. Coastal 500, launched by Rare in 2021, now spans local government leaders across the developing tropics and was created on a simple but powerful premise: local leaders are indispensable to building thriving, prosperous coastal communities. That is especially true for the protection and restoration of mangrove forests, one of the network’s central areas of focus.   Mangroves are often described through the lens of carbon, and rightly so. But for coastal communities, their value is even more immediate. Mangroves buffer shorelines from storm surges, erosion, and flooding. They provide nursery habitat for economically important fish and shellfish. They support biodiversity, improve water quality, and help sustain local food systems and incomes. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization notes that mangrove ecosystems provide a food base for fish, shellfish, and other species that feed millions of people, while the United Nations Environmental Programme highlights their role as both coastal protection and essential habitat for fisheries. In other words, mangrove protection and restoration is not just an environmental agenda. It is a public safety agenda, a food security agenda, and an economic resilience agenda.   Fishers in Resex Soure, Pará, Brazil. July 2024. That is why local governments matter so much. Mayors, district heads, and village leaders are the institutions closest to the tradeoffs that shape mangrove futures: coastal development, fisheries access, enforcement, budget allocation, disaster planning, and community trust. Coastal 500’s own framing is explicit: even where policies exist, local political leadership and political will are often the decisive factors in implementation. Local leaders can align community priorities with restoration, translate big commitments into practical action, and ensure that conservation is not done to communities but with them.   Indonesia, from which Coastal 500’s most recent and largest delegation of members hail, demonstrates why local government is the link between ambition and action. The country holds the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, with recent official estimates putting its mangrove area at roughly 3.46 million hectares, or around a fifth to a quarter of the global total. At the same time, Indonesia’s governance reality is deeply local. In 2025, Coastal 500 expanded through a Village Head Partnership in Buton, Southeast Sulawesi, explicitly recognizing village heads as frontline leaders, in addition to the mayors. Our work through Rare shows village governments in Southwest Sulawesi committing public funds to co-led marine surveillance and management. That matters because restoration succeeds when local authorities can do more than endorse it: they must budget for it, organize it, defend it, and connect it to local livelihoods.   Sugba Lagoon in Del Carmen, Philippines. This focus on global mangrove restoration reaches far across Coastal 500 geographies. Along the Amazon coast in Brazil, municipalities sit beside the world’s largest continuous mangrove belt. Recent endorsements of the Mangrove Breakthrough by Brazilian states and cities show how multilevel governance can create momentum, but those same announcements emphasize that local leaders drive implementation on the ground. In the state of Pará, where a section of this vast mangrove system stretches across roughly 3,900 square kilometers, municipal leadership is helping align local policy with long-term mangrove protection and coastal resilience. For communities whose economies depend on fishing, shellfish, and other mangrove-linked livelihoods, local stewardship is inseparable from both climate adaptation and community prosperity.   The Philippines offers perhaps the most vivid proof that mangrove restoration pays back communities in moments of crisis. In Del Carmen, which holds the largest continuous stretch of mangrove forests in the Philippines, Mayor Alfredo Coro II has spent more than a decade rehabilitating and preserving the mangroves in his municipality. After Super Typhoon Rai struck in 2021, he argued that those restored ecosystems helped the municipality prepare, reduced losses, and provided a stable food source during recovery. Rare and UNEP reporting on the Philippines echoes this broader point: healthy mangroves and adjacent marine ecosystems can blunt storm impacts while sustaining fisheries that families rely on when formal systems are under stress. This is what resilience looks like in practice. It is not abstract. It is fewer lives lost, less property damaged, and more food on the table after a disaster hits.   Rocky Sanchez Tirona, Managing Director of Rare, speaking at a Coastal 500 event in Siargao, Philippines, August 2023. In Honduras, the Coastal 500 story shows something else: local leadership is contagious. Former Mayor Juan Ramon Manaiza of Limón describes how lessons from the Philippines helped spark a movement for coastal protection in Honduras. That kind of peer exchange is one of the network’s most important forms of infrastructure. Honduras’s coastal municipalities are now leading collaborative efforts to restore mangrove forests and strengthen fisheries governance in landscapes tied to the Mesoamerican Reef. Rare’s Honduras work is built around partnerships with municipal governments and communities, recognizing that mangroves, reefs, and seagrass are part of one connected food and livelihood system. When local governments help protect these systems, they are not only restoring habitat; they are helping fishers withstand climate shocks and defend their food security.   The lesson across all four countries is the same. Mangrove protection and restoration work best when they are locally owned, politically backed, and woven into the everyday priorities of coastal governance. International initiatives can set ambitious goals, including mobilizing $4 billion to protect and restore 15 million hectares of mangroves by 2030. But those goals will remain aspirational unless financing, authority, and technical support reach the local governments and communities who are best placed to deliver results.   Sandra Cárdenas among some young mangroves. Sandra is a Rare partner and Regional Coordinator for El Centro de Estudios Marinos (CEM) in Omoa and Puerto Cortés. Born and raised in Omoa, she now works to strengthen Omoa’s fisher association and make science accessible to community members of all ages. Location: Omoa, Honduras. February 2023. Coastal 500’s 500-member moment should therefore be read as a challenge as much as a celebration. The world does not need more rhetoric about the value of mangroves. It needs more trust in the leaders closest to them. If we want coastlines that can withstand storms, fisheries that can feed families, and climate strategies that hold at the water’s edge, then mangrove restoration must start where accountability is strongest and stakes are highest: in local governments and communities.     About Coastal 500   Coastal 500 is the world’s largest network of local government leaders committed to thriving seas and prosperous coastal communities. With over 500 members across 8 countries, Coastal 500 represents over 2,000 communities that steward almost 100,000 square kilometers of coastline and marine ecosystems on which nearly 4 million people depend for food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience. When local leaders join Coastal 500, they commit to empowering their communities with clear access rights to their fisheries, while promoting sustainable fishing practices, building resilience, advancing transparent, effective and collaborative governance and sharing best practices with peers across the globe.   About Rare   Rare is a global leader in community-led solutions to protect nature, fight climate change, and build resilient communities. Rare serves as the Secretariat for Coastal 500 and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the network. Rare supports members by coordinating network activities and communications, helping deliver programs, tools, and learning opportunities, and supporting engagement with partners and at international fora.   Author Bio   Rocky is the Managing Director of Regional Programs at Rare. In this role, Rocky leads Rare’s work to support community-led conservation of vital natural resources. Based in Manila, Rocky oversees all country teams encompassing Rare’s regenerative agriculture and coastal fisheries work. Previously, Rocky led Rare’s flagship program designed to revitalize coastal fisheries and improve livelihoods in coastal communities, building on the work she led in the Philippines. She has a background in strategic communications and marketing.

The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) brings together more than 100 member organizations across 40+ countries in support of its 2030 goals: to halt mangrove loss, restore half of all degraded mangroves, and double long-term protection of remaining mangrove areas. Achieving these goals requires enabling policy frameworks at every level, from local governance to international agreements. The GMA Policy Working Group (PWG) is a community of practice advancing these kinds of policies — connecting more than 40 member organizations and all 14 national chapters to facilitate exchange and learning, support the development of policy guidance and knowledge products, and drive mangrove policy uptake in both national frameworks and international processes. In late March 2026, the PWG held its first peer-learning call of the year, marking the launch of an ambitious 2026 work program and bringing together members from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, East and West Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and international organizations working across multiple regions. For many, it was the first opportunity to meet as a group this year, and for the PWG, a meaningful step in reactivating as a collaborative platform for the year ahead. The sessions opened with a structured networking segment in which members presented their organizations, their geographic focus, and the policy work they are currently advancing. These snapshots, which have since been compiled into a shared PWG member resource, offered a vivid picture of the breadth of mangrove policy work currently underway across the Alliance, from national legislation and blue carbon strategies to community stewardship frameworks and international convention engagement . The networking segment was followed by a presentation of the PWG's 2026 work program, developed in coordination with the GMA’s other policy workstreams, including the Mangrove Breakthrough and the NDC Task Force. The program is organized around priority themes that members identified as central to their work: cross-sectoral integration, legal and governance frameworks, and financing and scaling models. Planned outputs for the year include a quarterly peer-learning call series, an update to the 2023 Mangrove Law and Policy Brief  incorporating new case studies, improvements to the GMA Policy Knowledge Hub, and a set of policy briefs addressing the upcoming Rio Convention COPs and synergies between these frameworks. The diversity of policy work presented by members was one of the most striking features of the calls. Geographically, the group spans nearly every major mangrove region in the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean , multiple organizations presented work in Ecuador around sustainable aquaculture policy and community stewardship agreements, while WWF Mexico shared progress on the GMA Mexico Chapter, working on national climate policy, legal protection, and blue carbon mainstreaming. The Ocean Foundation presented blue carbon and market development work across Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba, and Rare's Coastal500 initiative has already contributed to landmark national policies in Honduras and the Philippines. In Africa , Conservation International Liberia and Nature for Mangroves (Sierra Leone) described advances in national mangrove governance and youth-led advocacy respectively.   In Asia , Wetlands International Philippines shared recent progress on a National Blue Carbon Action Plan and coastal zone management legislation, while SACIWaters described emerging policy advocacy efforts in India. In the Middle East , Goumbook's MENA Oceans Initiative is building a regional knowledge hub and developing restoration guidelines to support NDC integration across eight countries, and Landesa shared tenure reform advisory work spanning Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and India. Across the presentations, several thematic convergences emerged, pointing to shared priorities and opportunities for collaboration. Blue carbon policy  is advancing simultaneously across multiple regions: Fauna & Flora is supporting Kenya's national blue carbon strategy, Wetlands International Philippines recently launched a National Blue Carbon Action Plan, Conservation International Liberia is working to integrate blue carbon into a national carbon market framework, and The Ocean Foundation is advancing blue carbon legislation and market development in Puerto Rico and Mexico. NDC integration  runs through the work of members across nearly every region, from Pew's science-based NDC support programs in Latin America and the Western Indian Ocean, to Wetlands International's role in the global NDC Task Force, to Goumbook's regional hub in the Middle East. Sustainable aquaculture, as a policy lever for mangrove conservation,  is featured in the work of both Conservation International and  The Nature Conservancy in Ecuador, as well as Conservation International’s work in Liberia and Landesa’s advisory work in Cambodia. Science-policy linkages  were central to presentations from Pew, Wetlands International Eastern Africa, IUCN, and New York Botanical Garden, while land tenure and community-based management  framed the work of Landesa and Nature for Mangroves. Marine and coastal spatial planning , locally-led coastal management  (Rare's Coastal500), monitoring and data for policy (Wetlands International, Fundação Florestal), and cross-sectoral integration into climate, biodiversity, and development planning (WWF Mexico, Wetlands International Philippines, IUCN) all featured prominently across presentations. The range of themes reflects both the complexity of the mangrove policy landscape and the complementarity of approaches within the group, making the PWG a well-positioned platform for cross-regional learning and the co-development of practical policy guidance. The 2026 work program is already underway. The next quarterly call, planned for Q2, will dive deeper into some of our members’ work on legal and governance frameworks at the national level. In the coming weeks, members will provide inputs, contributions, and case studies as we begin developing our planned knowledge products. If you are a GMA member working on mangrove policy and are not yet part of the Policy Working Group, we encourage you to get involved — reach out to the PWG lead, Adriana Vidal ( Adriana.vidal@iucn.org ), to learn more about how to participate and contribute to the work planned for 2026.

Dive into all of the publications produced by the GMA and associated partners. PUBLICATIONS Below you will find all mangrove related publications. Each resource is categorized by theme. The links will take you to the downloadable files. To dive into our full resource library, click below. Explore Knowledge Hub General Science Protection Policy Oct 1, 2022 SOMN Regional Publication 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-economic value of mangroves in the region. Save our Mangroves Now Read More Feb 1, 2022 Towards a Regional Mangrove Vision and Action Plan Mangrove forests are extraordinary ecosystems, providing a wide range of benefits to humans, including exceptional carbon sequestration and protection against climate change impacts. Save our Mangroves Now Read More Mar 25, 2021 Towards a Regional Mangrove Vision – Discussion paper Creating awareness and strengthening governance capacities at the regional, national and local levels and exchange of data and information between the scientific community and policy makers can help ensure a coordinated and cooperative protection of mangroves that is grounded in science. Save our Mangroves Now Read More Jun 3, 2025 International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference The urgency is clear. We stand at a turning point. Yet, the opportunity is equally immense. Protection; Conservation Read More Apr 28, 2025 Mangrove Best Practices: Energy Efficient Cookstoves Fuelwood collection from mangrove forests has long been essential for communities in Lamu, Kenya—but it has also contributed to severe forest degradation. To address this, Wetlands International launched a community-led initiative to introduce energy-efficient cookstoves, dramatically reducing the demand for mangrove wood while improving household health and resilience. Protection; Resilience Read More Apr 28, 2025 Mangrove Best Practices: Savings and Loans Groups In many mangrove-dependent communities, the lack of access to affordable finance drives overexploitation of mangroves and other natural resources. Wetlands International’s Savings and Loans Groups initiative helps communities develop sustainable livelihoods, reducing their reliance on mangrove resources. Protection; Resilience Read More Apr 28, 2025 Mangrove Best Practice: Mangrove School Clubs Young people are among our most powerful allies in securing the future of mangroves. Through our Mangrove School Clubs initiatives, we work with schools across Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Tanzania to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Protection; Resilience Read More Jun 20, 2023 Executive Summary Best Practice Mangrove Restoration Guidelines This is a joint product developed by the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Blue Carbon Initiative and led by the University of Queensland, Conservation International, Wetlands International, Blue Marine Foundation and the International Blue Carbon Institute. Restoration; Protection Read More Jan 11, 2023 Best Practice Guidelines for Mangrove Restoration Mangrove restoration efforts that are thoughtfully planned out, based on proven methods, and stimulate a feeling of stewardship over the area are more likely to result in a sizable, diverse, functional, and self-sustaining mangrove that offers the desired benefits for nature and people. Restoration; Protection Read More Jun 23, 2021 Co-benefits of Protecting Mangroves for Biodiversity and Carbon Storage The conservation of ecosystems and their biodiversity has numerous co-benefits, both for local societies and for humankind worldwide. Protection; Resilience Read More Sep 5, 2023 Mangrove Breakthrough: Financial Roadmap Policy; Protection The Breakthrough aims to provide a global compass for the international community, driving concerted action towards its shared goals through five critical pathways: Read More Oct 26, 2022 Drivers of Global Mangrove Loss and Gain Policy; Protection This assesses the relationship between socioeconomic and biophysical variables and mangrove change across coastal geomorphic units worldwide from 1996 to 2016. Read More May 12, 2020 Blood-free Honey Policy; Protection How a safer harvesting program is reducing deadly human-tiger conflicts. Read More May 20, 2025 First International Mangrove Conference Outcomes Report Delegates to the 1st International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference (IMCRC), representing governments, research institutions, non governmental organisations, civil society, and the private sector from across the globe, gathered in Abu Dhabi in December 2024. Science Read More Oct 9, 2021 Bird Rookery Nutrient Over-enrichment: Mangrove Decline in Belize Coastal eutrophication is an issue of serious global concern and although nutrient subsidies can enhance primary productivity of coastal wetlands, they can be detrimental to their long-term maintenance. Science Read More Oct 1, 2021 Conceptualizing Ecosystem Degradation using Mangrove Forests Our conceptual framework facilitates scientists, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders in considering multiple aspects of ecosystems to better assess system status and holistically evaluate degradation. Science Read More Oct 1, 2021 Functional Traits of Terrestrial Plants in the Intertidal True mangroves are vascular plants (Tracheophyta) that evolved into inhabiting the mid and upper intertidal zone of tropical and subtropical soft-sediment coasts around the world. Science Read More Aug 1, 2021 Are Crab-collectors in Mangroves of Northern Brazil Optimal Foragers? To better understand the spatial patterns of use of this natural resource as basis for sustainable resource-management, we used a combination of GPS-tracking, field observations, semi-structured interviews and participatory mapping with crab-collectors. Science Read More Jun 8, 2021 Crab-driven processing and Leaf Litter While hypotheses for why it is advantageous for a crab to store litter inside the burrow have been proposed, they have hardly ever been rigorously tested. Science Read More Apr 18, 2021 The Benefits of Combining Global and Local Data: Pará, North Brazil Showcase for valuation and mapping of mangrove climate regulation and food provisioning services within a protected area in Pará, North Brazil. Science Read More Mar 1, 2021 The Older the Better? Leaf litter and its breakdown products represent an important input of organic matter and nutrients to mangrove sediments and adjacent coastal ecosystems. Science Read More

There would be no Alliance without our members. Our members collaborate on field work, policy initiatives and campaigns. COORDINATING MEMBERS 100+ Members 40+ Countries 14 National Chapters 10 Regional Programs MEMBERS There would be no Alliance without our members. All members of the Global Mangrove Alliance enjoy opportunities to contribute to, and benefit from, the GMA's collaborative spirit. Our growing community fosters broad representation and inclusivity in the GMA decision-making processes. As a member, you join in the efforts to raise the profile of mangroves and the threats facing these tropical ecosystems. Our members collaborate on field work, policy initiatives and campaigns. The GMA community also convenes at international meetings, conferences and workshops. NATIONAL CHAPTERS GMA national chapters — 14 existing and more in development — reflect the grassroots momentum driving mangrove conservation at local levels. Our national chapters are supported by local partners. While linked to global efforts through the international GMA team, national chapters are tailored to local needs and incorporate local ecological knowledge, community input and equity considerations. LEARN MORE Join efforts to conserve and protect mangroves, collaborate on field work and partner on policy initiatives. Become a Member Stay up to Date

The GMA is a global collaboration conserving and restoring mangrove ecosystems. We secure a safer future for coastlines and the lives that depend on them. OUR APPROACH Securing a safer future for critical coastlines and the lives that depend on them. The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) is a world wide c ollaboration uniting NGOs, governments, scientists, industry, local communities and funders towards a common goal of conserving and restoring mangrove ecosystems. Guided by a shared vision of a world where mangroves thrive and communities prosper, w e firmly believe that we can achieve meaningful progress through true collaboration and innovation. There are many ways to bring mangrove conservation to scale. The Global Mangrove Alliance will use its collective strengths and partnerships to address the barriers to large-scale mangrove conservation and restoration through several streams of work, including: Alternate Livelihoods Support small-scale supplementary livelihood options, develop a portfolio of responsibly scalable options and optimize aquaculture or related opportunities that minimize mangrove loss. Financing Models Ensure that local groups understand the financing pathways open to them, including how to access them, the pros and the cons. Improving Policy Work with governments to develop and implement integrated management plans that activate global policy commitments and consider the multi-jurisdictional nature of mangrove conservation and restoration. Building Capacity Build awareness of best practices, benefits, development strategies and cost-effectiveness of mangroves among policymakers, financing institutions, NGOs and others through national chapters, local mangrove champions and experts. National chapters allow us to prioritize efforts and scale impact. Knowledge Sharing Connect the knowledge and tools required to integrate mangroves and their ecosystem services into mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction and land-use strategies with community and national leaders. FOUNDING We launched at the World Ocean Summit in 2018. Learn why the GMA was created and how our collaborative approach works with members and partners to protect, improve and expand active sustainable management of 15 million ha of mangroves worldwide. Watch Introduction Video GOALS We have an ambitious plan for turning the tables on the world’s mangroves. There are three critical pathways to be achieved: halt loss, restore half and double protection. Halt loss. Reduce net mangrove losses driven by direct human actions to zero, avoiding losses of approximately 154,500 ha of mangroves. Human-driven loss represents 62% of total losses. Our target refers to that direct, and therefore directly manageable, human-driven loss. Halting this would avoid 0.026 gT CO2 emissions and secure the continued supply of 800 million commercially important fish/shellfish annually. Restore half. Conduct science-based restoration to bring back half of all restorable mangroves lost since 1996, approximately 397,000 ha. Of the 1,170,000 ha of mangroves lost since 1996, approximately 818,300 ha are considered restorable. The goal is deeply ambitious and would lead to the securing of combined biomass and soil carbon of some 0.635 gT CO2 equivalent. It would also provide additional habitat which will generate over 25 billion commercially important fish and shellfish every year. Double protection. Increase areas under conservation measures from 40% to 80%, protecting approximately 9.7 million total hectares of mangroves. As of 2024, 42% of mangroves are recognized as protected areas. This would increase the long-term security of 9.14gT of CO2 equivalent and commercial fish productivity equivalent to 291 billion commercially important fish/shellfish every year. Achieving these goals will generate considerable benefits for people across the planet. New and ongoing studies by GMA partners and researchers are allowing us to constantly improve our ability to assess these. MISSION & HISTORY These are central resources to further your understanding of the mission and history of the Global Mangrove Alliance. Whether you are looking to participate in our community or deepen your understanding of our global strategy, these will help you navigate. Join efforts to conserve and protect mangroves, collaborate on field work and partner on policy initiatives. Subscribe to GMA Newsletter Explore GMA Guiding Principles