The importance of mangroves to people : a call to action

Abstract

Mangroves and their associated biodiversity help deliver important goods and services that play a critical role in supporting human well-being through climate regulation, food security, and poverty reduction. Mangroves can provide natural defenses against extreme weather events and disasters, helping to reduce property loss and the vulnerability of local communities. Mangroves have exceptionally high carbon stocks that are particularly vulnerable to land-use change; greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from mangrove conversion are among the highest of those from all land uses in the tropics. Despite their importance to people, mangroves are consistently undervalued and inadequately considered in coastal development decision-making, leading to their continued loss at a rate 3-5 times greater than global deforestation rates.