Why Tanzanians ought to protect mangrove ecosystems

17Feb 2022
Editor
Editorial
The Guardian
Why Tanzanians ought to protect mangrove ecosystems

The mangrove is a marine marsh ecosystem including a group of specific plants mainly woody. They develop in some lowland areas of the tropics or at the mouth of some rivers. According to the WWF, they are ecologically remarkable areas because of their wealth and their ability to absorb carbon.

It is this last characteristic that is pushing the international community to mobilise for the conservation of these essential zones in many regions.

Coastal mangroves are among the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Current estimates indicate that up to 67 per cent of mangroves have been lost to date, and nearly all unprotected mangroves could perish over the next 100 years

This is why the protection of mangrove ecosystems is essential today. Their survival faces serious challenges from the alarming rise of the sea level and biodiversity that is increasingly endangered. The earth and humanity simply cannot afford to lose these vital ecosystems.Mangroves are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. They ensure food security for local communities. They provide biomass, forest products and sustain fisheries. They contribute to the protection of coastlines. They help mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events.

UNESCO has always been on the frontline of promoting new and harmonious relations between humanity and nature, where the preservation of mangrove ecosystems carries special importance.

To this end, UNESCO is working across the board and with all partners on an open initiative on mangroves and sustainable development.  UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves has 86 sites out of 669 that include areas of mangroves.

Many are in developing countries and small island developing states.

The International Day for the Conservation of the mangrove ecosystems, UNESCO's message is clear. Taking forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development means forging new sustainable pathways to development in harmony with the earth. This means preserving all mangrove ecosystems.

UNESCO's first celebration of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem was in 2016. The proclamation of the international day, which was adopted on 6 November 2015 by the General Conference of UNESCO, underlined the importance of mangrove ecosystems as a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem, providing by virtue of their existence, biomass and productivity substantial benefits to human beings, providing forestry, fishery goods and services as well as contributing to the protection of the coastline and being particularly relevant in terms of mitigation of the effects of climate change and food security for local communities.  

The stakes are high, because mangrove ecosystems provide benefits and services that are essential for life. From advancing food security, sustaining fisheries and forest products and offering protection from storms, tsunamis and sea level rise to preventing shoreline erosion, regulating coastal water quality and providing habitats for endangered marine species the list is long on the importance of mangrove ecosystems. This includes the unique role that they play in sequestering and storing significant amounts of coastal blue carbon from the atmosphere and ocean, crucial for mitigating climate change.

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