MAP News Issue #592 - Feb 24, 2024

MAP News Issue #592 - Feb 24, 2024 CO2 emissions from degraded mangrove forests set to increase by 50,000% GLOBAL- Annual carbon emissions from degraded mangrove forests could escalate by nearly 50,000% by the end of the century. This startling projection comes from a recent study led by Montclair State University. The surge in emissions will primarily take place across degraded mangrove forests in regions like southern India, southeastern China, Singapore, and eastern Australia. These mangrove forests are crucial for carbon storage , particularly in their soil. Despite their importance, human development activities have led to a noticeable decline in these vital carbon stocks. Over the past two decades, the conversion of mangrove forests to agricultural, aquacultural, and urban areas has resulted in the loss of 158.4 million tons of global mangrove carbon stocks . This loss equates to the carbon emissions generated by transporting the entire population of the United States from New York to London by air, illustrating the substantial environmental impact of such degradation. The investigation, led by Professor Jennifer Krumins of Montclair State University, together with PhD candidates Shih-Chieh Chien and Charles Knoble, aimed to examine the correlation between human population density and soil carbon stocks in urban mangrove forests. The research contributes to understanding the global carbon budget’s dynamics concerning these ecosystems. The findings highlight a concerning trend: in areas with a population density of 300 people/km2 – comparable to the population density of the UK or Japan – the carbon stored in mangrove soils near populated regions is about 37% less than in isolated mangrove forests. Furthermore, the study estimates that the current annual rate of carbon emissions from mangrove loss is 7.0 Teragrams, a figure that is expected to increase to 3,392 Teragrams by the end of the century, in line with current predictions and increasing population densities. READ MORE Give a Village a Mangrove BRAZIL - Extractive reserves are a common type of protected area in Brazil; they conserve the landscape while allowing communities to continue sustainably harvesting their resources. Around 300 families, known as ribeirinhos—or river people—live in 28 villages inside the reserve; another 2,000 families live nearby. Together, they comanage the area with government agencies and have exclusive rights to harvest crabs and shellfish and carry out small-scale agriculture. Their dependence on the natural abundance binds them intimately to the reserve’s 11,000 hectares of mangroves. The mangroves, in turn, play an essential role in the larger ecosystem. Those in Cassurubá are part of what some researchers and conservationists refer to as the Abrolhos seascape: a network of coral reefs and mangrove forests that harbors some of the highest-known marine biodiversity in the South Atlantic. The mangroves’ leggy roots trap sediment that otherwise would smother coral reefs, and they absorb nutrients that could disturb the estuary’s delicate chemical balance. The trees’ roots and shoots form a natural net that protects breeding sharks and small fish from larger predators and storms. Yet as rising seas from climate change submerge some mangroves and others fall to development, stands like those in Cassurubá grow more precious. READ MORE More than 300 hectares of mangrove to be reforested after construction of Cancun’s Nichupté Vehicular Bridge MEXICO - More than 300 hectares of mangrove will be reforested once the Nichupté Vehicular Bridge is done. According to the Ministry of Communication and Transportation (SICT), the total environmental impact will be on less than four hectares. The Undersecretary of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation, Jesús Felipe Verdugo López, stated that the Nichupté Vehicular Bridge project in Cancun will have the largest environmental restoration program that the SICT has carried out. He explained that in the construction process of the bridge, the environmental compensation and mitigation work includes 306 hectares of mangrove reforestation, while the impact will be less than four hectares. The bridge consists of 8.8 kilometers, two interchanges (Colosio and Kukulcán), a bicycle lane, bus stops, a system of walkways and lighting as well as an “arch” bridge. Once built, it will be equipped with intelligent transportation systems (ITS) connected to a C4 security.The bridge will have a cross section of 14.9 meters to accommodate three traffic lanes, one for each direction of traffic and another that will be reversible, depending on traffic demand.  READ MORE USGS and CEOS hold Workshop on Deforestation Alerts, Mangrove Mapping and Monitoring in Gabon GLOBAL - In pursuit of harnessing the potential of Earth observation data for global climate surveillance and governance, a consortium of experts has convened in Libreville, Gabon, for a workshop jointly organised by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the SilvaCarbon programme of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from February 21 to 29, 2024. This workshop will explore two key themes: deforestation alerts and mangrove mapping and monitoring.The inaugural session commenced with presentations from notable speakers, including the Director General of the Gabonese Agency for Space Studies and Observations (AGEOS), Abubakar Mambimba Ndjoungui, representing the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Andreas Vollrath and Sylvia Wilson from the SilvaCarbon programme at USGS. They set the stage for discussions on integrating Early Warning Systems (EWS) into National Monitoring Systems, emphasising the pivotal role of satellite data in detecting and addressing deforestation challenges. The emphasis on Early Warning Systems and their integration into National Monitoring Systems highlights a proactive approach to environmental management. By detecting and responding to threats such as deforestation in real time, countries can potentially mitigate the adverse impacts on biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and assist local communities dependent on forest ecosystems.  READ MORE Kigamboni mangrove ecosystem being restored through FAO EU-funded project TANZANIA - It is said that “nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” (Lao Tzu). Mangroves are one of nature’s true accomplishments. These tropical plants are adapted to loose, wet soils, salt water tides and provide a natural infrastructure — a safety net — for their surroundings. They reduce soil erosion and absorb storm surges during extreme weather events. Their environmental impact protects both people and biodiversity. Tanzania's total forest vegetation covers 48.1 million hectares (ha), while the mangrove forest ecosystem in Tanzania covers an area of 158,000 ha — 0.32 percent of total forest cover. Despite their small area coverage, mangrove forests provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including coastal protection, breeding sites for various aquatic inhabitants, biofiltration of pollutants, provision of habitat for birdlife and wildlife. They also increase the potential of carbon sequestration, contributing to the improvement of climate change.  Opportunities for beekeeping and ecotourism also directly benefit. Any source of mangrove degradation or decline has major implications for both marine resources and livelihood of adjacent mangrove-dependent communities. To ensure people continue to benefit from mangroves and to halt illegal cutting for charcoal production rather than their degradation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through the European Union funded “Multilateral Environmental Agreements in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries – Phase III (ACP MEAs 3)” project, has supported restoration of two hectares of mangrove forest close to Tundwi Songani village in the Kigamboni district. READ MORE The beekeepers of Sine Saloum: How all-women team tends to Senegal mangrove SENEGAL - Clutching a purse and clad from head to toe in white protective gear, Bintou Sonko removes a small metal kettle from her purse and releases smoke into one of the 50 beehives nestled in the dense mangrove outside her town in Senegal. Pacifying the bees, the 53-year-old extracts a dark golden liquid from within. In 2022, she, her sister, and several others in the 67-strong women’s cooperative in Joal-Fadiouth, a town 100km (62 miles) south of Dakar, spent a month learning how to make honey, build hives and interact calmly with the bees. Despite an initial fear of being stung, she is in no doubt of their importance in the mangrove. For Sonko and her colleagues who have long been shellfish gatherers, their newfound occupation as beekeepers provides additional income. But as climate change and deforestation threaten the mangrove, many say beekeeping is good for the invaluable biodiversity haven and carbon sink that stores up to five times more carbon than tropical rainforests. “Bees and honey protect the mangrove,” says Sonko, president of the cooperative Mboga Yaye, which means “a good Serrer” in the local language of the Serrers, the main ethnicity in the mangrove-rich delta of Sine Saloum. The delta was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. Sonko explains that the bees pollinate the mangrove forest, creating more habitat for fish, shellfish and shrimp that the women traditionally collect. But more importantly, she says, “it allows the mangrove to rest”. READ MORE Restoring Mangroves in Minecraft and Real Life with Sound Off Films USA - Minecraft’s ‘Rooted Together: The Mangrove Restoration Project’ is a campaign that aims to raise awareness - and money - for mangrove ecosystems around the world. Vital to the environment and local communities globally, the plants are surprisingly unknown - leaving the teams involved with quite the PR challenge. Turning gamers into mangrove enthusiasts and raising over $200,000 for The Nature Conservancy, Xbox and Mojang Studios, the Swedish developer behind Minecraft, partnered with creative agency 215McCann and mission-driven boutique production company Sound Off Films to create a documentary about mangrove conservation, shot half in the real world and half in Minecraft’s virtual world. A custom map was also built inside the game by Everbloom Games, a 50-minute experience visualising 50 years of mangrove restoration. Working with director Haimy Assefa, and several remote units in Kenya and the Philippines, Sound Off’s global partnerships and in-house scientists allowed them to create a sustainable and inclusive production in three different countries. The project has now won two Gold Medals in the Sustainability, Environment and Climate category at the Anthem Awards, and three PRWeek Purpose Awards for its impact in this area. To find out how the film was crafted, block-by-block, LBB’s Ben Conway spoke with Sound Off Films’ creative producer, Sophie Morgan. READ MORE Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe ORDER YOUR 2024 CALENDAR NOW! Get your free calendar with every donation of $100 or more Please mention "calendar" in the comments field of our donation page If you would like to separately order calendars, please contact monica@mangroveactionproject.org     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Annual Report MAP is proud to release a report of our annual accomplishments and financial health for the past year. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE

MAP News Issue #591 - Feb 10, 2024

MAP News Issue #591 - Feb 10, 2024 Neglect and corruption destroy mangroves in Puttalam Lagoon Sri Lanka SRI LANKA Environmentalist groups accuse the authorities and ruling class for the destruction of the mangroves in the Palaviya area, part of the Puttalam lagoon, near the Old Hamilton Canal, guilty of negligence because in the last 20 years they have done nothing to prevent the havoc. Despite the damage, the area still remains one of the most characteristic lagoon systems in Sri Lanka, with a variety of fish of the highest order. All around the area you can also find 16 authentic varieties of mangroves and 12 other plants belonging to the mangrove community. For environmentalists, immediate intervention by the Forestry Department is necessary to curb destruction that could have devastating consequences. Mangroves are an important coastal ecosystem that has an impact on human life and nourishes biodiversity, as a nursery for numerous coastal and marine species, as well as guaranteeing support for fishing. They also provide a buffer to coastal communities against extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, stabilize coastlines and provide a shield against the effects of climate change, including coastal erosion and sea level rise. In addition, they provide housing, protection and food for all types of species, including fish, conserve coral and nourish sea grass. Officials from the Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) report that “mangrove cover in Sri Lanka has drastically reduced over the last decade”. According to a 2010 survey, there were up to 12 thousand hectares of plantations in the country, but with the progressive uprooting recorded over the years, the coverage has been reduced to 8 thousand hectares. READ MORE

Pakistan bucks global trend with 30-year mangrove expansion PAKISTAN - About three-quarters of Pakistan’s 1,050-kilometer (652-mile) coastline lies in Balochistan province, where the remaining mangrove trees stand in dispersed patches. The rest of the coast lies in Sindh province, where more than 90% of the country’s mangroves live. There, the Indus Delta stretches over 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres), an intertidal wetland home to the world’s seventh-largest mangrove forest, which supports the livelihoods of at least 100,000 people in fisheries. However, many people in the once-prosperous delta have been forced to leave in recent decades, as damming and diversions of the Indus River, compounded by sea level rise, have led to the sea encroaching, freshwater becoming scarce, and farmland turning saline. Pakistan’s alarming vulnerability to climate change is well documented. The devastating mega floods in 2022 — made 75% more intense by climate change, according to scientists — killed at least 1,700 people, displaced 8 million, and inflicted losses of $30 billion. To cope with these and other environmental disasters, national and provincial governments under various ruling parties have carried out massive tree-planting projects to enhance terrestrial forest cover since 2008.  READ MORE How tides of change transformed Yundang Lake CHINA - So far, the renovation of Yundang Lake has cost about 1.99 billion yuan ($277 million). "We are not only engaged in environmental restoration, but also preserving our city's culture," Pan said. "For example, our sailing sports lead the way in China. People in Xiamen no longer just observe the sea from the shore. They can now sail and see dolphins in the sea. It has changed our lifestyle." To restore wetlands, the city's forestry bureau and Xiamen University planted mangroves along lakefronts and seashores. The mangrove restoration projects were done in "forest-friendly" areas including Yundang Lake and Tong'an Bay. The area of mangrove forests in Xiamen increased from around 33 hectares in 2000 to 174 hectares in 2023, the ministry said. As mangrove plantations expanded, marine ecosystems flourished, with water birds returning to nest and frolic. In the past, coastal waters in Xiamen suffered from severe eutrophication — an overabundance of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in water caused by excessive aquaculture and haphazard development. As a result, the native mangrove forests, known for their crucial role in protecting coastlines and mitigating the impact of waves, disappeared. READ MORE

What is ‘blue carbon’? Southeast Asia’s net zero answer faces setbacks GLOBAL - From Bali to Phuket, Southeast Asia’s beaches have always captured the imagination of tourists. But rarely has anybody recognised another potential of its vast coastline – the ability of its rich marine life to achieve carbon neutrality. The ocean system comprising tiny phytoplanktons to mangrove belts and sea grasses can store up to five times more carbon than tropical forests, but its vast natural potential is being rapidly depleted, according to Siti Maryam Yaakub, senior director at Singapore-based International Blue Carbon Institute. So-called blue carbon is known by scientists as carbon stored in ocean systems, and Southeast Asia has one of the largest such sources, but the region is also experiencing massive losses of this potential due to human activity such as aquaculture.Within Southeast Asia, the two dominant blue carbon ecosystems are mangroves and seagrass habitats. Mangroves are essentially forests that grow in the interface between the land and the sea, while seagrass are underwater plants that thrive in brackish and shallow water. The region had been lax in preserving its blue carbon potential. “For example, a lot of the mangroves in Sumatra and Java [in Indonesia] are quickly being converted into shrimp farming, and there’s also conversion into palm oil [cultivation],” she said. READ MORE Mphasis F1 Foundation Launch Mangrove Restoration Initiative INDIA - Mphasis F1 Foundation in collaboration with United Way Bengaluru (UWBe), has launched an initiative on World Wetlands Day, February 2, 2024, dedicated to the restoration of mangroves. This initiative has been launched at Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu (in Tamil, which translates to 'jungle of roots', implying the presence of Mangrove forests in the entire area), a coastal town on the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Pulicat coastline spans 720 sq. km and is India's second-biggest brackish water body. The lake's depth has reduced from 3.8m to 2m due to the large-scale destruction of the mangrove vegetation due to human-caused and factors. Currently, the area is left with patches of mangrove vegetation; hence these efforts are aimed at its restoration. Often overlooked yet critically important, mangroves play a pivotal role in coastal biodiversity, climate resilience, and community well-being. Unfortunately, mangroves are under threat, with a loss of 35% between 1996-2000, as suggested by various reports. The State of the World's Mangrove 2022 report reveals that only 147,000 km2 of mangroves remain globally. These salt-tolerant trees provide a habitat for diverse marine and terrestrial species and offer numerous environmental and community benefits. Their dense root systems act as a natural buffer against extreme weather events, stabilize shorelines, and are highly effective carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide, about 5 times higher than that of tropical upland forests.  READ MORE

'Will Cut Only 10,582 Mangroves For Pipeline,' BPCL Informs Bombay High Court INDIA - The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has informed the Bombay high court on Thursday that it will cut only 10,582 mangrove trees and no other terrestrial trees while laying pipelines from its refinery in Mahul, Chembur to Rasayani in Raigad district. BPCL has undertaken a project to lay underground 43km-long pipelines for transporting petroleum products that will pass through its refinery, Mumbai Port Trust Authority, CIDCO and private lands. It filed an affidavit before the HC which is hearing an application filed by activist Zoru Bathena urging the court to recall its January 23 order allowing BPCL to cut 11,677 trees, including mangrove trees, for laying of the pipelines. “It is true that 10,582 mangrove trees and 1,095 terrestrial trees have been identified for cutting. However, there will be cutting of only mangrove trees and no terrestrial trees will be cut,” BPCL’s reply read. In view of September 2017 order of the high court which mandated its permission for felling of trees, BPCL had approached the high court. BPCL had contended that the pipeline was crucial for transportation of petroleum products due to non-availability of the railways which would reduce road traffic. Also, it would reduce losses on accounts of loading and unloading operations. READ MORE Why the next two years will make or break battle to rescue tropical forests BRAZIL - To see how escalating deforestation and rising temperatures are already having profound impacts, look no further than the Amazon rainforest, where water levels last year reached their lowest since measurement began, threatening both humans and animals, and the integrity of the world’s biggest tropical forest. In the lead up to COP28, the annual Forest Declaration Assessment report , opens new tabfound that despite more than 140 countries pledging at COP26 to end deforestation by 2030, tree loss increased by 4% in 2022 compared with 2021. The amount would have been higher had not Brazil, under its new president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and two other important rainforest countries, Indonesia and Malaysia, achieved drastic reductions.So, while activists such as Global Canopy celebrated the fact that the promise to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 made it into the final text at COP28 for the first time, they also called attention to the fact that global pledges to end deforestation, stretching back to the 2014 New York Declaration (when the deadline was 2020), have rung hollow. Last month, there was a grim reminder of how easily progress can be reversed, when official data from Brazil showed that deforestation in the Cerrado biome, Brazil’s agricultural heartland, increased by 43% on the previous year, even as deforestation in the Amazon fell 50%. READ MORE

Not a subscriber? Click to subscribe ORDER YOUR 2024 CALENDAR NOW! Get your free calendar with every donation of $100 or more Please mention "calendar" in the comments field of our donation page If you would like to separately order calendars, please contact monica@mangroveactionproject.org     Want to learn more about mangroves? VISIT MANGROVEACTIONPROJECT.ORG

ACTION ALERTS   Help Save the Mangroves Mangrove Action Project relies on the generosity of donors to do our urgent work. Whether it’s a one-time or monthly commitment, your contributions make a real difference in safeguarding these critical ecosystems.   FIght the Marine Bitumen Spill   Tanzania corals and mangroves threatened   Please sign: Save Murchison Falls!   Ecuador: Stop land grabbing and racial discrimination for palm oil!     Mangrove Action Project Annual Report MAP is proud to release a report of our annual accomplishments and financial health for the past year. Check out a global map of the places we're working, and highlights from all of our programs. Thank you to our many supporters who made this work possible, and to all of our friends and partners working to protect mangrove forests, worldwide. READ MORE