Half of world's mangroves under threat, says conservation group

23/5/2024 11:33

        Half of the world's mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse as a result of human activity, rising sea levels and extreme weather, according to the latest survey by an international conservation group.
        
        The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in an assessment published on Wednesday, unless action is taken, a quarter of the world's total mangrove areas could be completely submerged within 50 years, with critically endangered ecosystems in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives expected to bear the brunt.
        
        Marcos Valderrabano, who runs the IUCN's "Red List" assessing ecosystem threats, "This global assessment has found that 50% of the mangroves worldwide are at risk of collapse, and that is much more than what we expected."
        
        Mangrove forests cover around 15% of the world's coastlines and play a vital ecological and economic role, filtering water and providing breeding grounds for fish and other marine life.
        
        As well as storing an estimated 11 billion tons of carbon, mangroves also serve as an important buffer that protects coastal communities against storm surges and floods.