Salah Khaled, Donia
Abdelwahed and Benno Boer
Qatar, located in the world’s northern desert belt, is characterized by harsh environmental conditions, including extremely annual precipitation of less than 100 mm/m2, and scorching summer temperatures often exceeding 49 °C. These conditions contribute to sparse natural vegetation, with cover rates typically ranging from 1% to 5 %.
However, Qatar is home to approximately 12,3 km2 of mangroves, primarily consisting ofmono-specific stands of Avicennia marina (named after the renowned philosopher and physician Ibn Sina). These mangroves are unique as they can achieve vegetation cover rates of up to 100 %, thriving throughout their life cycle on seawater without requiring freshwater. Their remarkable adaptation makes them of significant scientific interest for coastal and marine ecological sciences, as well as for exploring innovative approaches to food-security based on biosaline productivity.
Kuwait has a limited mangrove coverage of only 0.1 km2, primarily due to exposure to low winter temperatures below 0 °C. Bahrain’s mangrove coverage is approximately 0.8 km², while Saudi Arabia boasts around 204 km². Oman has about 10.9 km² of mangroves, Yemen approximately 9.3 km², and the United Arab Emirates features an estimated 68 km², with coverage steadily increasing due to ongoing restoration efforts. It is important to note that these figures may have changed recently because of intensified conservation and rehabilitation initiatives across the region.
India is home to extensive mangroves along its vast coastline – with deltas, estuaries, and distant offshore islands. Full of loose, wet soils, salt waters and periodically submerged by tides, these mangroves make up for more than 4,300 km2 of forest cover in India.
However, the findings of a 2022 report by the Global Mangrove Alliance are concerning. The report states that “Overall, the total mangrove area was estimated to be 152,604 m2 in 1996, decreasing to 147,359 km2 in 2020 – a net loss of 5,245 km2 (3.4%)” globally. This loss equates to nearly half the size of the vast Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest shared by India and Bangladesh, underscoring the critical need to conserve these rapidly diminishing coastal ecosystems. The vast stretches of mangroves in the Sundarbans are the exclusive mangrove-place globally that functions as a home of the Bengal Tiger, while mangroves in other regions provide critical habitats for wild cats and a wide range of commercially important, rare, and endangered wildlife species. Mangroves are also among the most efficient ecosystems for capturing and storing atmospheric and oceanic carbon. They absorb carbon at rates several times higher than the Amazon Rainforest and can lock it away for thousands of years in their semi-subhydric soils. These soils are periodically flooded by ocean waters during high tides and exposed during low tides, playing a vital role in the global carbon cycle.
UNESCO has long advocated for the conservation of mangroves as a “blue carbon ecosystem” through its Man and Biosphere Programme, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which aims to advance ocean science, reverse ocean decline, and promote sustainable development of marine ecosystems.
These blue carbon ecosystems provide significant benefits to the coastal communities.In India, the 37 mangrove species are crucial for providing timber, construction, firewood, livestock grazing, honey production and medicines – making them indispensable to the communities that inhabit and depend on them. Plus, mangroves also act as natural defenses protecting coastal communities and environments from climatic risks such as coastal flooding. Fringing mangroves can reduce wave heights by 50 to 99%!
The world champion on mangrove coverage is Indonesia, with an estimated cover of 31,900 km2. Other countries with very vast stretches of mangroves include Brazil (13.000 km2), Australia (9,903 km2), Mexico (7.701 km2), Nigeria (7,356 km2), and Malaysia (7.097 km2). A total of 125 countries and territories around the world are home to mangrove ecosystems, highlighting their widespread ecological significance and the global need for their conservation and sustainable management.
Equally important are the rich cultural traditions associated with local communities. Passed down through generations, places like the Sundarbans exhibit great performance arts like the Jhumur, a unique, evolved dance-form performed by women; the Bonbibir Pala, a performance art as a form of religious worship of the lady of the forest (Bonbibir), has been a continuing tradition in the Bengali-speaking region; and the Bhatiyali, the music of the boatmen and fishermen telling of their challenges in the waters by the mangroves – all qualifying as “intangible cultural heritage” under UNESCO’s World Heritage convention.
However, as climate change drives out-migration, these cultures face an existential threat. The Observer Research Foundation has noted that although both the people and wildlife of these landscapes are well-adapted to the harsh conditions – factors such as sea-level rise and coastal erosion due to frequent storms and rare tsunamis directly threaten their lives and their livelihoods. Mitigating, adapting, and building resilience are critically important for preserving both the natural environment and the cultural heritage of mangrove communities. These efforts ensure the sustainability of these vital ecosystems while safeguarding the traditions and livelihoods of the people who depend on them.
Human activities such as land reclamation, conversion to agriculture and aquaculture, urban encroachment, and overexploitation of mangrove resources have significantly contributed to the decline of these vital ecosystems. However, countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, and others have made notable efforts to reverse this trend. In India, many remaining mangrove areas are now managed as forest reserves with sustainable harvesting cycles, and some have shown significant increases in coverage due to focused restoration efforts and natural regeneration. One of these successful initiatives is the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI), a five-year scheme launched by the Indian government in 2023-24. This program represents a significant step toward increasing mangrove cover while promoting sustainable development.
It is crucial to renew our commitment to preserving these vital ecosystems. Restoring mangrove cover is essential not only for environmental health but also for human well-being. Restoring the lost mangrove cover is of importance for societal, environmental, economic, and cultural purposes. The study and application of ecological forestry in mangrove ecosystems are urgent priorities, including the development of man-made mangrove forests that float on the oceans. This can provide renewable alternatives to illegal mangrove logging and contribute to achieve SDG 7 (Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all), with a view to UNESCO’s innovative socio-ecological project ‘Floating Mangroves’.
How can we do this?
We need to expand and strengthen the existing coastal UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves globally, invest in scientific research, and recognize the unique cultural traditions thriving in mangrove regions and recognize them as World Heritage sites of cultural and natural interest. Additionally, fostering community-led conservation and restoration projects is essential, as these initiatives not only contribute to ecosystem health but also support local livelihoods in a more sustainable and inclusive manner, ensuring long-term socio-ecological resilience.
The Ocean Literacy Dialogues, organized by the Jane Goodall Institute in Mumbai on November 16th, with support from UNESCO and the British Council, emphasized the critical importance of mangrove conservation and restoration. Such initiatives have the potential to be scaled up and tailored to the specific contexts of other regions, showcasing the ecological significance of mangroves, alongside their cultural and economic value to local communities and key stakeholders, is essential for valorizing these ecosystems on a global scale, ensuring their protection and sustainable use.
Similarly, the upcoming International Conference on Mangrove Restoration, organized by the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi from10-12th of December, with the support of UNESCO and key partners, provides atimely platform to underscore the ecological and cultural significance of mangroves.An inclusive approach, engaging all stakeholders, is essential to ensure “peace, health, dignity, and equality for a healthy planet and a sustainable future for both the environment and its people.” UNESCO will support the participation of over 30 global mangrove conservation specialists at the Abu Dhabi conference, including both emerging and experienced experts from diverse regions. Participants will include specialists from the Arab States of the Gulf, South Asia, Northeast Africa, Latin America, and several Small Island Developing States such as São Tomé and Príncipe, Fiji, and the Maldives. Their contributions will enhance the discussions and outcomes of this important event, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration on mangrove conservation and restoration.
(Salah Khaled, Donia Abdelwahed and Benno Boer, UNESCO Office for the Gulf and Yemen and UNESCO Office for South Asia.)
