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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 .

And their conservation frameworks in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. These reports include profiling of mangroves’ socio-economic role and status in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar, as well as the impact of conservation on the latter. After the legal frameworks for mangrove governance, conservation and use in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar have been assessed, national in-depth profiles underpinning the ‘national case’ and identifying the ‘key entry points’ for mangrove conservation were developed, addressing the recognised knowledge gap of valuation studies in eastern Africa, covering the full suite of ecosystem services, and providing these estimates at regional and national level.

Ecuador Reaches 100,000 Hectares of Mangroves under AUSCEM Agreements Ecuador has reached a historic milestone in the conservation and sustainable use of its mangrove ecosystems by achieving 100,000 hectares managed under the Sustainable Use and Custody Agreements for the Mangrove Ecosystem (AUSCEM). This achievement means that approximately 67% of the country’s mangroves are now managed under a framework that prioritizes the responsible use of fisheries resources and the preferential management of mangrove territories by traditional users. This important achievement is led by the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Ecuador, as the national environmental authority, and has been made possible through the technical and strategic support of three of the founding partners of the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) Ecuador Chapter: WWF , The Nature Conservancy (TNC) , and Conservation International (CI). The collaboration between the public sector and civil society partners has helped consolidate a governance model that is recognized at the regional level for its contribution to biodiversity conservation, the strengthening of local livelihoods, and climate resilience. The Sustainable Use and Custody Agreements for the Mangrove Ecosystem (AUSCEM) are a public policy instrument of the Ecuadorian State that has been implemented for 25 years, recognizing and regulating the preferential use of mangrove territories by ancestral users and organized community groups. Through these agreements, the State delegates responsibilities for custodianship, conservation, and sustainable ecosystem management to legally recognized associations, promoting responsible fisheries practices, protecting mangroves from external threats, and strengthening local governance. After a quarter century of implementation, AUSCEM has become a consolidated and innovative model that delivers tangible benefits in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and improved livelihoods for the populations that directly depend on this ecosystem.

Fund what really works in mangrove restoration.    Written by Pieter van Eijk and Susanna Tol, Wetlands International    Investing in mangroves offers a massive opportunity to revive natural capital — they shield our coasts, lock away carbon, and support the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. As climate change and biodiversity loss escalate, the case for restoring them is stronger than ever.   But not all mangrove restoration works. Too many well-intentioned projects have failed, not for lack of ambition, but due to a fixation on quantity over quality. In pursuit of planting targets, countless initiatives have introduced monocultures in unsuitable places, often neglecting the ecological and social conditions that are required for successful restoration.   For funders looking to support initiatives that foster resilient, biodiverse mangrove ecosystems benefiting both people and planet, now is the time to embrace best practices. Here's what to look out for.  Tree planting is not the same as mangrove restoration.   Mangroves grow best when nature is allowed to take its course. They thrive in dynamic places where tides come up and down, water meanders, sediments build and salt and freshwater mix. Different species occupy specific zones across the intertidal with pioneer species creating conditions for others to settle over time . The strongest seedlings survive, anchoring into the mud and forming interwoven root systems that hold everything together. The result is a heterogenous forest with pools, channels, and dense root systems that provide feeding and nursery grounds for countless species, from clams to crabs and from fish to birds.    From aerial photos, a freshly planted mangrove stand may look like progress and show high seedling survival at first. But planting dense rows of a single species (a forestry mindset) rarely works in marine, dynamic settings. In many restoration sites seedlings are planted too high or too low on the intertidal and struggle to survive, natural recruitment is blocked. The hydrology and soil chemistry remain disturbed. Sometimes non-native species are used. At best, such stands deliver limited coastal protection and fisheries benefits; more often, they die—wasting funds and credibility. And even worse: planting over seagrass, salt marsh, or natural mudflats is already causing widespread destruction of these valuable ecosystems.    Rows of planted mangroves @Wetlands International     What works: Fix the cause, let nature do the “planting.”   Mangroves recover when the physical environment is right. Degradation often stems from blocked or altered water flows, sediment disruption, or infrastructure that breaks intertidal connectivity.    The evidence-based approach known as ‘ Community- Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration’ ( CB EMR) restores those conditions so mangroves can regenerate naturally.   Typical actions include restoring tidal exchange by breaching pond bunds, regrading compacted soils or altered ground levels, reopening natural creeks, protecting young trees from grazing, and installing permeable structures to stabilize eroding shores.   Once hydrology is restored, tides transport mangrove seeds and propagules naturally, selecting the right species for each microhabitat, often allowing mangroves to regenerate without planting.   The outcome is a biodiverse, structurally complex forest that survives longer, and often is more cost-effective than a grid of manually planted seedlings.   These forests store carbon, buffer coasts from storms, purify water, support fisheries, and yield sustainable products like timber, honey, and seafood. Such mangroves are also likely to be more resilient to climate change.   Hydrological restoration in Guinea Bissau @Wetlands International 2015 (left) - 2023 (right)   When planting helps.     Planting does have a role. If seed sources are too distant, enrichment planting can reintroduce native species after hydrological fixes and kickstart ecological recovery. In severely eroding areas (e.g. parts of the coast of Belize, the Philippines, or Indonesia), strategically planting mangroves on remaining bunds may offer short-term stabilization while longer-term measures take effect. Small-scale community plantings can also build ownership and a sense of pride over a project, so long as they're complementary to ecological restoration.   The key is to ensure planting is strategic , site-specific , and complementary to broader restoration goals, not the main act.  People are central to all of this . Long-term restoration outcomes require that local communities actively steward restored ecosystems and take ownership of the solutions that sustain them. Successful projects are co-designed, understand and consider land tenure and traditional knowledge, and integrate existing and future livelihood opportunities from the start. When communities benefit directly from restored ecosystems — whether through fishing, sustainable harvesting, or ecotourism — they are more likely to protect them for the future. Cash-for-work planting alone rarely secures long-term care.    Redefine success with meaningful metrics . Another shift funders must embrace is to shift away from defining success by counting how many nurseries were built and how many seedlings were planted. This provides limited insight into real restoration success and provides an incentive for bad practice.  Instead, monitoring should assess the area under ecological recovery , tracking hydrological restoration and species composition and structure, alongside social outcomes like governance, equity, and income generation. These indicators provide a more accurate picture of long-term resilience.  Mangrove recovery does not happen overnight. Whilst many structural attributes of vegetation (cover, extent, density) can return within 5-10 years, full ecosystem recovery can take decades. Effective projects need to plan for the long haul, with phased implementation and adaptive management informed by regular monitoring.   Think landscape scale and long term. Equally important is understanding that mangroves are part of broader land- and seascapes. Their functioning is determined by freshwater, sediment and nutrient inputs, as well as their interaction with adjacent habitats like seagrass beds and coral reefs. Restoration that reconnects these systems boosts biodiversity and resilience across the entire coastal zone.  This work demands interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts in ecology, hydrology, coastal engineering, climate science, governance, and community engagement — both to diagnose the drivers of mangrove loss and to identify solutions that are locally grounded yet scalable.  Investors must also consider long-term risks. Climate change is already reshaping coastlines through sea-level rise and extreme weather. Restoration plans must assess these risks from the outset, integrate mangroves within broader land and seascape planning, maintain ecological buffers and adopt 20-year-plus timeframes. This is essential not only for ecological resilience, but also for protecting the financial interests of investors with coastal assets or operations exposed to flooding and, erosion.     The investment opportunity: mangroves as blue carbon and beyond . For investors seeking climate- or biodiversity-aligned returns, mangrove restoration can deliver climate mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity protection and development benefits. Artificial monocultures may fail to provide the same value of ecosystem services delivered by more inclusive restoration projects. Therefore, poorly designed projects may increase the risk of non-delivery of credits, becoming financially unviable and eroding investor (or market) confidence.   Conversely, funders who redirect finance towards holistic, high-integrity restoration that follow best practice guidance, like the Global Mangrove Alliance’s Best Practice Guidelines , are more likely to support projects that deliver durable outcomes and safeguard mangrove ecosystems for generations to come.  This means demanding that projects go beyond numbers of trees planted, focusing on the integrity of the ecosystems that emerge and the communities that sustain them. By funding restoration with science and long-term vision, investors can help shift the global narrative from short-term fixes to real ecological recovery.   Resources   Global Mangrove Alliance (2023) – Best Practice Guidelines for Mangrove Restoration   Wetlands International (2024) – How to Effectively Restore Mangroves (YouTube Video Series)   The Mangrove Breakthrough (2023) - Guiding Principles   Wetlands International (2016) - Mangrove Restoration: To Plant or not to Plant?   Abu Dhabi Environment Agency (2025) Outcome document 1 st International Conservation and Restoration Conference   ORRAA (2025) – High-Quality Blue Carbon Practitioners Guide   World Economic Forum - Investing in Mangroves: The Corporate Playbook (2025)

New York, 22 September 2025 — As climate threats intensify and biodiversity loss accelerates, a new set of reports released today during New York Climate Week highlight how countries in Asia, the Americas and West Africa can combat the rapid loss of mangroves —vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in climate adaptation and resilience, yet are disappearing at an alarming rate. Produced by the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough, the Regional Readiness Reports map regional trends, threats, as well as conservation and restoration potential and show the far-reaching impacts for climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development in nations with high mangrove cover. “These reports answer the critical question of where and how we can most effectively accelerate mangrove action,” said Irene Kingma, Wetlands International. “They point funders and decision-makers to opportunities and to places and partners ready to move.” Mangroves store up to four times more carbon than tropical rainforests, shield coastal communities from rising seas and storms, and provide vital habitat for over 340 threatened species. Yet, over 50% of their original extent has already been lost, and efforts to conserve and restore them remain severely underfunded. To close this gap, Mangrove Breakthrough partners are mobilizing $4 billion in public, private, and philanthropic finance to halt mangrove loss, restore half of degraded mangroves, and double their protection by 2030. These Regional Reports translate its Finance Roadmap into tangible, high-impact investment opportunities across the three critical regions. “The Regional Readiness Reports are blueprints to help donors, financial institutions, governments and NGOs align their resources and commitments—advancing the Mangrove Breakthrough into its next phase, driving system-level change across target regions, and delivering tangible benefits for frontline coastal communities and ecosystems”, Ignace Beguin, Director of the Mangrove Breakthrough.   Coenraad Krijger, CEO Wetlands International handing over the Mobilizing the Mangrove Breakthrough Regional Report to Alicia Bárcena, Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico Alicia Bárcena with Pilar Jacobo, WWF Mexico and Camila Zepeda, Mexico’s Chief Climate and Biodiversity Negotiator, posing with the new Regional Readiness Report Critical regions and countries to achieve the Mangrove Breakthrough targets The reports spotlight regions and countries that stand out with restoration potential or potential to increase mangrove protected area. Asia is home to around 40% of the world’s remaining mangroves. With 3,927 km² of restorable mangroves, the region could deliver nearly half (47%) of the global Mangrove Breakthrough restoration target. Around 27% of mangroves in Asia are under some form of formal protection. Due to the globally significant mangrove area in Indonesia , doubling protection levels there, would realize more than half of the Mangrove Breakthrough’s regional goal. Across Asia, conversion of mangrove forests to shrimp aquaculture ponds and agricultural plantations is the largest driver of loss and  resolving land tenure is the most common barrier to effective action. Home to nearly 28% of the world’s mangroves, the Americas region holds vast potential for restoration, with nearly 1,800 km² of restorable mangroves (22% of the global restoration target), particularly in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. However, restoration efforts are often hindered by land tenure disputes and insufficient funding. While approximately 70% of mangroves are already under formal protection, effective and well-resourced management at a landscape level is crucial that these protections lead to meaningful outcomes. West Africa holds the world’s third largest mangrove area, vital for food, fuel, and coastal protection. The Regional Readiness Report shows the region has 14% of global restoration potential and urgent need for expanded protection. Nine of twelve countries already recognize mangroves in their commitments, under the Global Biodiversity Framework, underscoring strong political will to ensure the mangroves of the region remain in a healthy state. This is however one of the world’ s least developed regions with many challenges related to poverty. Conservation strategies for this region should be centred around improving livelihoods as part of an overall strategy. Overcoming recurrent barriers for upscaling  To overcome the recurrent barriers that limit both the scalability and long-term sustainability of interventions, the reports identify four critical enablers: to mobilize mangrove partnerships, incubate finance and investment, enhance policies and governance, and build local knowledge and capacities. For high-impact countries, the reports also summarize existing mangrove positive policies and governance structures, enabling finance mechanisms and existing partnerships, identifying where immediate support and investment can have the greatest effect. The Mobilizing the Mangrove Breakthrough Regional Reports and Country Summary for Indonesia can be downloaded here . The West Africa Regional Report will be available soon; further Country Summaries for Asia, the Americas and West Africa will be added prior to COP30. Regional Mangrove Breakthrough targets to Halt Loss, Restore Half and Double Protection of Mangroves in each of the Regional Reports are based on spatial data from Global Mangrove Watch . To learn more, read this press release. The reports were developed with support from the Bezos Earth Fund.

Global Mangrove Watch User Story Interview with José Eliseu Benante from the Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas of Guinea-Bissau (IBAP) by Abdoulaye Ndiaye, Technical Officer, Wetlands International West Africa. The mangrove disturbance alert function of the Global Mangrove Watch platform is enabling changes in mangrove cover to be identified more quickly. Satellite remote-sensing data creates near real-time—currently monthly—alerts of mangrove losses in Africa. For now, this system is limited to Africa, but it will be upscaled to a global level in the near future. It enables rapid mobilisation of conservation and restoration efforts, like in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. Global Mangrove Watch analysts noticed a high number of alerts in early 2021, approximately 20km north of the city of Bissau. Wetlands International workers, together with the Institute of Biodiversity and Protected Areas of Guinea-Bissau (IBAP), visited the site and discovered that a new dam had been built to convert an area of mangroves to rice agriculture. How was your experience working with the Global Mangrove Watch data in this particular case, where you visited the newly established rice field?  It was very interesting! It was a great experience! The site we visited was located away from the main street, and thus unnoticeable. We could never have found the site without the data from Global Mangrove Watch. Without the use of Global Mangrove Watch, how do you monitor threats to- and conversion of- mangroves in Guinea Bissau? Normally, IBAP monitors threats to and changes in mangroves with park guards, in the national parks. On top of that, if we encounter people conducting potentially illegal activities, like cutting wood, we can do enforcement. Even in national parks, mangrove areas are the most challenging ecosystem to monitor due to the practical constraints. We don’t have the resources to continuously keep track of what happens in all the mangrove areas of Guinea Bissau. The experience with Global Mangrove Watch was really helpful, because this allows us to act with little means. You gave us the coordinates, and we could assess the situation around the newly developed rice field. It was a great experience. If the system works on a regular basis, we can use it to monitor all areas that we cannot track with our current means. Do you only monitor in national parks or also in the other, non-protected mangrove areas? IBAP, when it comes to biodiversity, we work both in and outside national parks. However, monitoring we do only in national parks. For mangroves, we can’t even do regular monitoring. Here, we do only ad-hoc monitoring. What to you is the strength of the Global Mangrove Watch data? Currently, we only use remote sensing data from Landsat and Sentinel to classify the mangroves, for mangrove inventories, and ground truth these. But we don’t know which areas are degraded. We need to know that to conserve mangroves. Therefore, we need the data. We need to know which areas we are losing. Where do we need to focus our attention? The data provided turned out to be valid. The trip showed us that GMW is a credible source! On top of that, in Guinea Bissau, we don’t have good data on hydrology. We need that for conservation of mangroves. For example, in Cufada National Park, there are 3 zones, and rivers flow through all. We don’t know where the rivers are, or where the water flows exactly. This is valuable information for good management. We are currently in the process of updating the Cacheu (PNTC) mangrove management plan. Global Mangrove Watch data would be very valuable for this process. The same would go for the Cantanhez National Park! Lastly, we need to be able to monitor the restoration areas. Several organizations are restoring, but tracking the restored areas is a challenge that now requires a lot of manual labor. This use-case was done in 2021. Has this incurred a change in working with GMW? What would you need in order to use GMW further? Not yet.  We don’t have sufficient knowledge or skills at the moment to use the GMW data. We would like to be trained in the use! We need to know how to use it, and where the data is. At least some focal points of our organization need to know how to use it. © Eliseu Benante