The 2019 Global Mangrove Alliance Workshop In January 2019, mangrove specialists of the Global Mangrove Alliance from all over the world came together to discuss approaches to save the world’s mangroves. Wetlands International was represented involving colleagues from the Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya, Senegal, Panama, and the Global Office. In this blog, I will share my personal experiences and the most important outcomes of the meeting. What is the Global Mangrove Alliance? Mangroves occur along tropical coastlines and are considered one of the most important ecosystems for nature and people. They are havens for biodiversity, provide rich fisheries resources and protect communities against storms and erosion. They also regulate our climate by sequestering and storing large amounts of carbon. However, worldwide mangroves are under threat from large scale infrastructure development and expansion of agriculture and aquaculture. As more and more people live along our coasts these pressures increase rapidly. To save our mangroves for future generations, it is crucial to work together. That’s why Conservation International, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International, and WWF came together in 2017 to form the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA). By organizing a global movement involving NGOs, private sectors and government partners we are working towards the bold target to increase global mangrove cover by 20% by 2030. By aligning our work and sharing lessons learned we have a stronger voice, we can scale up our interventions on the ground, and convince others to support mangrove conservation across the globe. In the past year, we formalized the operational structure and overall vision of the alliance. The workshop marks a new phase in which we will work with our regional network to refine our strategy, develop plans for collaboration and hit the ground running! The Workshop –   Day 1: Mapping Opportunities for Collaboration We started off by mapping how we could work together in such a large alliance: What is needed for a smooth collaboration and what complementarities exist in approaches and experiences? While many of us had never worked together on projects, even though the organisations work in the same regions, it soon became clear that there is no lack of opportunities! I met someone from The Nature Conservancy East Africa who is working in a mangrove delta South of the Rufiji Delta, where we work. We found out that our remote sensing technology could support communities and coastal zone managers in their project to better develop management plans for mangroves and other coastal ecosystems.  Other partners were excited to learn from our experience  in Indonesia on mangrove-based coastal defence . The other way around, we are very keen to tap into the experience of partner organisations on  blue carbon  and make use of the  mangrove restoration potential map  that was recently developed by The Nature Conservancy and IUCN. But it is not just a matter of finding thematic synergies. We realized that getting to know each other personally, understanding our organisational differences and building mutual trust is at least equally important for a successful collaboration. As the focus of my day-to-day work is mostly on Africa, talking to people from other regions gave me a broader perspective and get to know the different organisations better. The Workshop – Day 2: Defining Important Mangrove Issues    One thing I noticed is that broadly, most of us in the different regions are coping with similar issues. Coastal infrastructure development, large scale agriculture, aquaculture, overharvesting of natural resources –  these are just some examples of threats to mangroves that are shared in different places of the world. We used the second day of the workshop to review our strategy and prioritize our future work. We split into groups and identified priority issues and solutions that we can focus on in order to meet our long-term goal. Cooperation with communities Sometimes there appear to be conflicts of interests between communities and conservation organisations. How to balance the need for communities to exploit mangrove resources while at the same time acknowledging the need for conservation. Realising that ultimately we strive for the same goal, to safeguard mangroves and their natural resources for future generations we asked ourselves the question: What can we do as an alliance to facilitate cooperation with communities, to engage together in the sustainable management of mangroves? The different organisations of the alliance all have experience in these areas. We have all dealt with a variety of community groups and learned valuable lessons from these experiences. In Guinea-Bissau, for example, we established community-based protected forests and involved local community groups in the protection of the buffer zone of Cacheu national park. By reviving traditional natural resources management arrangements, we have enabled local community groups to become stewards of their natural environment (see our publication on the project in Guinea Bissau  here ). In other countries, we have experienced how local policies can either support local stewardship or be a driving force to local degradation. These lessons we learned are often not shared outside our organisations. This is where the GMA could come in: by facilitating the sharing of lessons learned and by developing joint strategies for community engagement we optimally build upon each other’s experiences and maximize our impact. GMA participants team up to develop proposals for future mangrove conservation work. This team included Blue Ventures, Wetlands International, NASA, WWF-Madagascar, WWF-Germany, and IUCN. Government buy-in Many policies that seek to achieve economic growth, fail to take into account the values of mangroves. Large infrastructure and agricultural schemes, for example, may cause mangrove degradation and deforestation, causing loss of valuable fisheries resources and making coasts vulnerable to extreme events. To ensure that mangroves are conserved and restored, we need to make sure that government agencies at all levels recognize them for what they are worth: essential for nature and human well-being. Often their economic values are not recognized. In our brainstorm, we considered what we can do to ensure mangrove conservation and restoration are mainstreamed into relevant policies. We explored bottom-up approaches where we help communities to put mangroves on the agenda. We also looked at top-down approaches for example by informing global and regional development strategies, by influencing procurement policies of financial institutions or by strengthening policies that promote more sustainable supply chains for mangrove commodities. Collaborating through a science committee the GMA will introduce key information on mangrove threats and values into policies thereby providing strong arguments to protecting our mangroves. We also agreed to develop a toolkit of model policies, which can easily be adapted to different contexts. On a regional level, we can use the alliance to align our messages. That will make our voice much stronger and unified, and make us a credible source. We have no lack of ideas on the thematic focus of our policy work: amongst others, we plan to promote mangrove-based climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, introduce green infrastructure solutions as an alternative to conventional grey infrastructure solutions and will help governments to further improve their mangrove restoration strategies. Good restoration practice Recent studies in the Philippines and Sri Lanka show that less than 20% of restoration projects are successful. Governments and NGOs set area targets for restoration, often without any requirements in terms of the quality of the restoration. These ill-considered targets, combined with a lack of knowledge lead to failure of restoration. For example, many projects have been planting unsuitable species in unsuitable locations, in the wrong time of the year, and without making sure enabling conditions for mangrove recovery are in place. In some of the projects of Wetlands International, we have been testing different methodologies of restoration. For example, in Guinea Bissau, together with local fishermen and farmers, we restored the hydrological functioning in abandoned rice fields, allowing mangroves to naturally regenerate. This method of restoration is not only much more effective, but it is also much cheaper as well. In many cases, planting is not even necessary to restore mangrove areas! Wetlands International wrote a  paper  on this together with colleagues from the Mangrove Action Project. This kind of experiences should be shared broadly. During the meeting, we concluded one of our prime roles as the GMA, is to disseminate good restoration practice. We aim to do this by compiling lessons learned amongst organisation and by sharing guiding principles through training and our online knowledge hub. The Workshop – Day 3: Action Plans After all the conceptual thinking, it was time to get concrete. The workshop group was split into regional teams who developed proposals for their respective geographies. For the Africa region, in which I was present, we developed a proposal focused on science and policy. We really tried to make use of our respective specialties, and to incorporate the insights we got through our problem- and solutions analysis.  By specifying clear roles and responsibilities, we developed a strong proposal for a project in multiple African countries. Amongst others, we identified opportunities for using NASA’s remote sensing information as input to policy dialogues that are coordinated by IUCN. And we brainstormed how a work package on community-based mangrove management coordinated by Wetlands International could subsequently be connected to this policy work. Hopefully, this marks the start of a much more comprehensive process towards developing shared regional mangrove strategies. It was very nice to see how the participants brought their first ideas together during this workshop session. Summary:  From the workshop it becomes clear that the GMA can be instrumental in building a global movement of mangrove professionals that share their experiences, align their messaging, team up in the field, collectively working towards an ambitious mangrove agenda. Working groups on for example policy, science and communications along with regional teams will drive the work in the years to come. Over the coming year, we plan to build up the alliance by inviting new partners, securing resources and getting ourselves organised. Until now, founding partners have used their own institutional resources to start up the alliance. Wetlands International would like to thank the Nationale Postcode Loterij of the Netherlands for supporting this initiative. Their contribution has been essential for the establishment of the alliance.

Six arrested for illegal fishing in mangroves Working as a community ranger in the mangroves of Ambaro Bay, Northwest Madagascar, is not easy. Recently, the village of Ankazomborona’s “polisinala” community rangers caught six boats that they say a group of fishers used on an unauthorized trip into the nearby mangroves.  That same night they were taken to the village and held accountable for their actions according to the community regulation called “ dina ”. “It is the whole village, with the traditional and administrative authorities, who have decided to ban night fishing in mangroves. We, the polisinala, are here to enforce this decision.” Ahmad Jacques The “dina” is traditional communal law used as a tool to regulate the effective management of natural resources. Among other things, it lists fines and penalties that those who break the rules (for example, fishing illegally) must pay, which includes signing a letter of commitment against retaliation and recurring behavior. Fishing is one of the mainstays of the Malagasy economy, with shrimp being the major fisheries export. Madagascar's fisheries are threatened by illegal domestic fishing and poaching from large international fleets. (Source: FAO; Photo: WWF-Madagascar) The six men were found to have fished illegally were fined 400,000 ariary (100 euros) for each boat and ultimately paid the local committee 2,000,000 arairy (500 euros). Ahmad Jacques is the president of the “Ankameva” association in Ankazomborona. The community organization that he runs manages the 926 hectares of mangroves that surround the village. They also support the rangers that guard the mangrove forests. Rangers like those patroling Ambaro Bay are a crucial link between policy and protection. Since taking the post in 2016, they have already caught 16 illegal fishermen, and 23 illegal mangrove cutters. Learn more: WWF-Madagascar

Has your organization made a voluntary commitment to conserve, restore, or sustainably manage mangroves? At the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2017, close to 1,400 voluntary commitments for concrete action to advance implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 were made by governments, the UN, NGOs, academia, the scientific community, and the private sector. Mangroves comprise one “Community of Ocean Action” that focuses on catalyzing new mangrove-related commitments and follows up on the implementation of existing commitments. The importance of mangroves to ocean health is reflected in the nearly 90 voluntary commitments to date that relate to the restoration, rehabilitation, protection and management of mangroves and associated ecosystems. These voluntary commitments reflect the vital role that mangroves play in supporting livelihoods of coastal communities, sustainable fisheries, resilience to the impacts of climate change and sequestering atmospheric CO2. Specific commitments relate to topics such as development of protected areas, reforestation, mapping, economic valuation, tourism, financing, mangrove livelihoods, climate adaptation and blue carbon . This cluster covers aspects of several SDG14 targets, including 14.1, 14.2, 14.4, 14.5, 14.7 and 14.a. Examples of groups that have made and updated their commitments: The Global Mangrove Alliance voluntary commitment is to take global action to increase mangrove habitat 20% over current extent by 2030. The UNDP/GEF Small Grants Program in Pakistan  updated their voluntary commitment to reflect that so far approximately 7000 acres of mangroves have been conserved and restored as part of their commitment to enhance socio-ecological landscape resilience in Pakistan’s Indus Delta. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines has committed to improved national coastal resource management by identifying best practices in coastal municipalities including successful mangrove protection and rehabilitation programs and committing to promoting upscaling and replication. The International Coral Reef Initiative has awarded a grant to the project “Managing mangroves for climate change regulation and other ecosystem services” in Kenya as part of their voluntary commitment “ The ICRI Plan of Action 2016-2018 ”. Among five themes of the plan of action is encouraging financing for projects and initiatives which aim to protect and restore coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses to mitigate the impact of climate change. The Samoan Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment has committed to ensuring mangroves are preserved for their social, economic, and cultural benefits to Pacific Island communities through research, capacity building, and the establishment of mangrove protected areas for mangrove rehabilitation and protection. Brazil has committed multiple voluntary commitments to defining a comprehensive coastal-marine strategy and establishing the Brazilian Blue Fund to support the implementation of coastal conservation and climate adaptation measures, including the Brazilian Mangrove Project and a National Mangrove Conservation & Sustainable Use Progamme. Make or update your ma ngrove commitment before World Mangrove Day (July 26, 2018)

In Monrovia, Liberia from March 18-21, the Liberian government, the Swedish Embassy to Liberia, Conservation International, and other participants gathered at the first major ocean conference ever held in West Africa – the Blue Oceans Conference – to discuss and commit to a set of outcomes to improve coastal ecosystems – especially mangroves which line much of Liberia’s coast.   Mangrove conservation and restoration is a nature-based solution that Liberia can employ in their fight against climate change as well as a means for making a significant contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The conference highlighted how mangroves increase the resiliency of coastal communities against seal level rise, coastal erosion, and storm damage. Mangroves were also mentioned repeatedly as a low cost, natural solution, to climate mitigation and the role they play in securing livelihoods and providing healthy sources of protein through the fisheries that mangroves support.   Among other commitments agreed to by the Liberian government, mangroves were specifically mentioned in a commitment to “no net loss of Liberia’s mangroves post 2020 by developing a robust set of projects and programs to conserve and restore Liberia’s mangrove ecosystems.” Clearly demonstrating alignment with the GMA goals.   The conference also gave voice to West African communities affected by climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, marine pollution and other issues – a demographic not often well represented at larger, global conferences. For more information on the conference (and to check out the music video) please visit the conference website: https://blueoceansconferenceliberia.com

GMA welcomes commitment from Government of Brazil to protect nature and livelihoods, and promote the sustainable use and restoration of mangroves. The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) applauds the Government of Brazil for its recently announced Brazilian Blue Initiative, which aims to promote the protection of the country’s coastlines and waters in the face of a changing climate. Mangrove forest ecosystems are some of the most productive on earth and line the coasts of 106 countries. These forests make up approximately 15.2 million hectares of land mass and their fate is directly tied to the fate of the coastal communities living around or behind them. To address the growing and urgent threat of climate change there is a compelling body of evidence pointing to the role mangroves can play in climate mitigation, coastal protection, and fisheries provisions, in addition to biodiversity conservation. wide-ranging support and partnerships will be essential to the success of this initiative Brazil is a country with enormous mangrove coverage – approximately 1.4 million hectares – as well as a country that has demonstrated global leadership in forest protection and conservation. Currently, more than 85% of Brazilian mangroves are in protected areas. The Brazilian Blue Initiative is a strategic framework to promote partnerships, projects, and other actions that help implement and effectively manage protected areas, including those places yet to be formally declared. The GMA looks forward to supporting the Government of Brazil with the implementation of the Brazilian Blue Initiative, with a focus on promoting enhanced protection, livelihoods, and the sustainable use and restoration of mangroves. As wide-ranging support and partnerships will be essential to the success of this initiative, promoting exchanges and learning with other countries will also be a priority for the GMA. © WWF-Brazil / Adriano Gambarini Our Alliance is an unprecedented collaboration that brings together NGOs, governments, industry, local communities and funders towards a common goal: to increase the global area of mangrove habitat 20% over current extent by the year 2030. The founding members include Conservation International, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International and World Wildlife Fund. The Alliance brings together technical experts, civil society organizations, governments, local communities, businesses, funding agencies and foundations to accelerate a comprehensive, coordinated, global approach to mangrove conservation and restoration at a scale that matters.

Statement from the Government of Pakistan on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Pakistan has the largest chunk of arid climate mangroves, mostly occurring in the Indus Delta in the province of Sindh and a few small isolated patches along the coast of Balochistan province. The mangrove wetlands in the Indus Delta are the ultimate destination for thousands of migratory birds that voyage along the “Indus Flyway”, one of the seven globally important birds migratory routes. Mangroves in Pakistan are a source of livelihood for thousands of the dependent coastal communities. The Indus Delta mangroves, originally spread over 600,000 hectares, have been seriously degraded over the last 50 years as a result of hydrological changes, coastal developments and pollution. Considering the importance of the mangrove ecosystem, the Sindh Forest Department has already initiated large-scale mangrove restoration in the Indus Delta. Pakistan is also committed to the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and under its target-11 is committed to bring 10% of its marine and coastal areas under protected areas network. In this regard I am happy to state that Astola Island has been notified as Pakistan’s first Marine Protected Area. Being one of MFF member countries, the Government of Pakistan believes that the new Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) will help forge new partnerships and responses to support conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems at the global level as a potential opportunity to address the challenges of climate change and sustain livelihoods of the dependent populations. Mr. Zahid Hamid Federal Minister of Climate Change, Pakistan

Statement from the Government of Honduras on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Honduras is a mega diverse country with a rich biological and cultural diversity. It contains very unique ecosystems ranging from coastal marine areas to high mountain habitats with cloud forest. According to the Forest Map of Honduras published by ICF (2014), the country has about 52,000 hectares of mangrove forest (ICF, 2014), located in the Pacific and Caribbean basins. The conservation and restoration of this ecosystem is a country priority, as established in the National Biodiversity Strategy and its Plan of Action (ENBPA) 2015-2020 developed by the Secretariat of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines, MiAmbiente +. Mangroves are not only important for the conservation of the biodiversity of fish, mammals, invertebrates and birds, but they are also vital for human life and the economy of the country, as well as for protection before extreme climatic events. The Honduran government with strategic allies is promoting multiple actions to strengthen mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, including the formulation of the mangrove forest conservation and restoration plan in the Roatan Islands, the implementation of the system Biological monitoring of this ecosystem and some associated species and community initiatives that favor artisanal fishing and the conservation and restoration of mangroves. As Minister by law of MiAmbiente +, we welcome the initiative promoted by the Global Mangrove Alliance; we hope it will be a tool to promote importance and cooperation for the conservation and restoration of mangroves in the world. Carlos Pineda Fasquelle Minister by Law; Secretariat in the Offices of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines, MiAmbiente +, Honduras

Statement from the Government of Ecuador on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Ecuador has 162,000 hectares of mangrove under conservation at the national level. On the Ecological Capayas Mataje Reserve, located in the Ecuadorian coast region, it can be found mangrove trees from about 60 meters tall, consider to be the tallest around the world. The mangrove is the home of a large number of species and offers significant opportunities for the development of local economies based on the collection of crab and seashell, strengthening the food sovereignty of the population. Through the Program Socio Manglar and the Sustainable Use and Mangrove Custody Agreements, the country empowers the exclusive use of the resources of the mangrove ecosystem to ancestral and traditional users that inhabit these zones. Thereby we stimulate the protection of this fragile ecosystem, compromising the citizens into the care of the mangrove. Mangroves are life, ecosystem services, and economic hope for thousands of people in Ecuador. That is why we support the Global Mangrove Alliance and we are fully committed to join efforts for the conservation of mangroves worldwide. Tarsicio Granizo Minister of the Environment of Ecuador

Statement from the Government of Thailand on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Thailand has 3,010 km long coastlines that supports millions of coastal livelihoods as well as providing shelter, income from tourism and trade. From 1961 – 1996 Thailand lost more than 50% of mangrove forests. Through a lot of effort on mangrove restoration by the governments, civil societies, and private sectors from 1997 – 2014, Thailand mangrove areas increased by  1.5 times more than year 1996. To date, Thailand’s national policy to restore 50,000 rai (8,000 ha) from 2017 – 2021 (NESDB) and encourage communities to participate in mangrove management. Thailand was one of the first countries to participate in the  Mangroves for the Future  (MFF) initiative, from 6 countries member in 2007, to 11 countries member has strengthening collaboration of mangrove conservation in the Region.  With the new partnership between MFF and the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) will help Thailand strengthen conservation efforts for sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems in the future generations. Dr. Maitree Doungsawadi Chairman of MFF National Coordinating Body, Expert member of Thailand National Sub-committee on Mangrove and Coastal Ecosystem Management, Thailand

Statement from the Government of Brazil on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. As home to 7.4% of the world’s mangrove forests, Brazil, the second country in mangrove extension in the world, has demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting these unique and critical ecosystems: about 87% of Brazilian mangrove forests are inside protect areas. As well as promoting engagement of local communities in sustainable use of its natural resources, including through the extractive reserves (protected areas equivalent to the category VI). We are encouraged that the Global Mangrove Alliance is bringing international attention to the importance of mangroves and the need to better protect, manage, and restore them for the benefit of people and nature, particularly due to their roles in climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainability of livelihoods. Ricardo Soavinski President of the Chico Mendes Institute for Conservation of Biodiversity

Statement from the Government of Sri Lanka on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Mangrove forests are one of the most productive and diverse ecosystems in Sri Lanka. With a total mangrove cover of 11,600 ha, mangroves contribute to climate resilience, food security and biodiversity in near shore and inland environments. Sri Lanka takes a keen interest in mangrove habitats and, as a continuation of the ‘Sri Lanka NEXT-  A Blue Green Era’  programme, launched in  2016, H.E. the President has  launched a national mangroves conservation effort to protect the mangrove forests and replant an additional 4,000 ha of mangrove forests. Three mangrove nurseries were established in the North Western Coast along with the world’s first museum entirely dedicated to mangroves. Commenting to BBC News on the importance of mangroves, H.E. President, Maithreepala Sirisenahas mentioned that “it is the responsibility of all public and private institutions, non-governmental organizations, researchers, intelligentsia and the civil community to be united to protect the mangrove ecosystem.” In this context, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment warmly welcomes the partnership between  Mangroves for the Future  (MFF) and the new Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) to add value to the efforts of the State and non-governmental organizations to conserve critical coastal habitats, especially mangroves. Anura Dissanayake Secretary, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka

Statement from the Government of Bangladesh on World Mangrove Day 2017 On World Mangrove Day 2017, governments from tropical regions rich in mangrove habitat issued statements recognizing the important role these forests play in daily life and nature. Bangladesh shares the world’s largest mangrove forest – the Sunderbans – with India. It is one of the last strongholds of critically endangered species including the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Gangetic Dolphin. The Sunderbans not only serve as a transition between marine and terrestrial environment but also provide protection to the most vulnerable people of the coastal areas of Bangladesh from the impacts of climate change, by attenuating wave energy, cyclones and storm surges and stabilizing shorelines from erosion. Restoring and conserving these vital ecosystems is key to sustaining both coastal communities and biodiversity. It is also an accurate representation of how environmental issues are not defined by geographic boundaries. In order to protect the Sunderbans, Bangladesh, under the leadership of Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will continue to work together with global community to hold its elimination. Ministry of Environment and Forest is highly committed to conserve the Sunderbans and mangrove habitats. I hope with the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) partnering with  Mangroves for the Future  (MFF) will significantly strengthen our joint efforts to conserve and restore this unique mangrove ecosystem. Anwar Hossain Manju, M.P. Minister of Environment and Forest, Bangladesh