#MangroveForests are healing after decades of human destruction

by Matt McGrath and Esme Stallard
June 4, 2026

"The world's coastal #mangrove forests, which protect millions of people from storms - and soak up vast amounts of planet-warming gases - are staging an unexpected comeback, scientists find.

"For decades these swampy trees had been declining rapidly as they were cleared for fish farms and housing.

"But a new study shows that since 2010 the world has been gaining more mangroves than it has been losing - driven by stronger #LegalProtections and increased #PublicAwareness of their importance, sparked by disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

"The researchers say the key factor though is the remarkable capacity of these forests to #regenerate naturally once humans stop chopping them down.

"Mangroves are one of the world's unsung #environmental heroes.

"Not only do they store up to five times more #CarbonDioxide than land-based forests, but their tangled roots can also slow down waves and protect coastal communities from #StormSurges and #tsunamis.

"These same roots provide a perfect nursery for many species of fish and other #MarineLife - protecting them from predators and providing ample food.

"These benefits, though, have come under serious threat over the past century as the rise of fish farming, agriculture and the expansion of coastal cities and towns have seen mangroves chopped down and rapidly removed.

"From the 1980s to 2010, over 12,000 sq km (4,600 sq miles) of mangroves were cleared or destroyed across #Asia, #Africa and the #Americas - an area the size of Jamaica.

"However, the new study shows a real reversal of that trend, particularly over the last decade. The total net losses - the forest lost and not replaced - since the 1980s have now been reduced to around 849 sq km (328 sq miles)."

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4pk07npvvo

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/EX19Y

#SolarPunkSunday #FishNurseries #Mangroves #RestoreNature #CoastalRewilding #RestoringMangroves
#PreserveNature #OceansAreLife

4-Jun-2026
Global #mangroveForests rebound, offering hopeful sign for #climate and #coastal #resilience

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1130248

#science #mangroves #ecology #environment #climateCatastrophe

Why Choose India As A Safari Destination? An Ultimate Guide to Wildlife Tours in India for Global Travelers

https://indiasafaristrends.wordpress.com/2026/03/28/why-choose-india-as-a-safari-destination-an-ultimate-guide-to-wildlife-tours-in-india-for-global-travelers/

#ClimateCrisis #MangroveForests #Bangladesh #India #gender #TheSundarbans

The Sundarbans, which stretches across the southern reaches of Bangladesh and India, is widely celebrated as the planet’s largest mangrove forest and a refuge for endangered species. Yet beneath its ecological riches lies increasing instability that threatens residents and biodiversity.

Accelerating sea level rise, at almost double the global average, coupled with salinity and recurrent cyclones, have transformed once-fertile farms into wastelands, upending local economies and exposing millions to entrenched vulnerability. For communities dependent on rice farming and fishing, the effects are severe: crops fail, fish and crab stocks decline, and mounting debts drive families into distress. With livelihoods collapsing, many men migrate to distant cities for work, leaving women to run households, care for children and elders, and sustain community life. This shift increases women’s burden and exposes families, especially children, to poverty and instability. At the same time, it has also given rise to new forms of agency and collective action among the women left behind. 

https://www.visionofhumanity.org/climate-change-and-social-strain-threaten-the-peace-in-the-sundarbans/

A #Seychelles Shoreline Resists the Rising Seas https://eos.org/articles/a-seychelles-shoreline-resists-the-rising-seas

"#Mangroves on the atoll were harvested until it became a protected site in the 1970s. Since then, the shoreline of one of the atoll’s islands, Picard, has accreted up to 161m as flourishing #MangroveForests trap and retain sediment... #Aldabra’s resilience to #SeaLevelRise is likely linked to its high protection status"

The Importance of #Mangroves

#Florida mangroves provide protection from #storms, nurseries for #wildlife and recreation for people.

May 04, 2020 | Last updated April 05, 2023

Threats to #MangroveForests

"Unfortunately, there are many challenges that place mangrove forests under threat. Human impact such as #dredging, #filling, #WaterPollution from #herbicides and #development can lead to mangrove erosion and #HabitatDestruction. When mangrove forests are cleared and destroyed, they release massive amounts of #CarbonDioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to #ClimateChange."

Read more:
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/why-mangroves-important/

#Hurricanes #HumanDevelopment #Florida #Overdevelopment #ProtectTheWetlands #ProtectMangroveForests

'The vanishing #mangroves of #ElSalvador: ‘All our efforts may only slow the destruction’

In #BarraDeSantiago, local people are struggling to save one of the few remaining #MangroveForests, as they are lost to agriculture and urban sprawl'
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/sep/05/mangroves-el-salvador-forests
#Environment #Sustainabilitu