MAP ISSUE # 528 – Sept 4, 2021

JET condemns destruction of mangrove forests

JAMAICA – The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) says it is extremely concerned about the continued destruction of Jamaica’s mangrove forests. JET says it recently received reports alleging the removal of mangroves within the Palisadoes Port Royal Protected Area by a state agency in the absence of the required environmental permit. The organisation says it also received reports of further removal of mangroves to facilitate the expansion of the town of Falmouth. Mangrove forests are one of the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet and their conservation is a key natural adaptation strategy and mitigation measure in response to climate change, providing protection against storms, JET emphasised. It acknowledged that the Government has recognised the island’s vulnerability to climate change as a Small Island Developing State and has stressed the importance of adaptation. Noting that the Forestry Department plans to restore several of the island’s mangrove ecosystems and intends to prepare a plan to manage these forests, JET believes that the agency is too slow to act, arguing that these plans may not be completed until next year. While this is still being prepared mangroves continue to be destroyed, the organisation stressed. READ MORE

GLOBAL

Mangrove restoration done right has clear economic, ecological benefits

GLOBAL – In the green and dimly lit mangrove forests of West Papua in Indonesia, towering Rhizophora trees loom more than 40 meters (130 feet) overhead into the canopy, their tangled roots taller than a human. Oceans away in the Caribbean, mangroves of the same genus reach a maximum of 2 m (6 ft) in height, their shrubby stuntedness belying decades of growth. That mangroves come in such varied forms is evidence of their adaptability, says Dan Friess, associate professor and head of the Mangrove Lab at the National University of Singapore. Yet mangrove restoration projects have some of the highest failure rates around. Adaptable as mangroves may be, straddling the border between land and sea is uniquely stressful. Misguided restoration efforts — planting the wrong species in the wrong places in the wrong densities — push their stress levels further to the breaking point. “There’s a common misconception that because mangroves grow by the sea, they love seawater. But they’re just tolerating it,” Friess said. “It’s a very stressful environment, and that’s why so many mangrove restoration projects fail.” READ MORE

AFRICA

Restored mangroves holding back sea level rise

SENEGAL – Thousands of hectares of restored Mangroves are changing the lives of local fishing communities in Senegal and helping them tackle climate change. Mangroves are essential for preventing soil erosion, holding back rising sea levels and promoting marine ecosystems. Africa has lost nearly 500,000 hectares of its mangroves due to drought, deforestation and construction in the last 25 years, according to the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development. In Senegal, one local project is investing in mangrove reforestation and local communities to help preserve local villages and help them to tackle and adapt to the changing climate. READ MORE

Degradation of the Mindoubé mangrove reaches its alert level

GABON – The degradation of the Mindoubé mangrove is of concern to the Gabonese authorities. The area located in the fifth district of the capital Libreville received on August 4th, 2021, a restoration mission led by the Deputy Secretary General of the Gabonese Ministry of Water and Forests. Armed with rakes and boots, the agents of the ministry cleaned up the surroundings of this important carbon sequestration and fauna and flora reproduction environment. Preceded by a conference-debate on the ecological role of mangroves, the restoration mission carried out in Mindoubé, comes within the framework of the delayed celebration of the International Day of Mangroves, under the national theme “the mangrove: place of carbon sequestration and reproduction of fauna and flora”. The deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Water and Forests reminded the audience that it is always possible to take action to reforest devastated areas. READ MORE

Even as the government bets big on carbon, REDD+ flounders in Madagascar

Madagascar is a potentially excellent site for REDD+, but only a handful of projects spearheaded by foreign NGOs have taken root here. The government’s recent move to centralize control over carbon credits has created confusion over the fate of these projects and the future of REDD+ in Madagascar. The Malagasy government placed a moratorium on the sale of carbon credits three years ago. Under President Andry Rajoelina, the country set out to nationalize its carbon rights. As a result, all its REDD+ initiatives, including Blue Ventures’ Tahiry Honko, were put on hold. The country’s environment minister singled out the project for criticism for selling the Malagasy people and the government short. The 20-year project was initially supposed to pull in $27,000 a year at around $20 per credit. Half the funds were set aside for the 10 villages that are part of the program. Blue Ventures denies the promised funds are too little. Meanwhile, the country has signed an agreement with the World Bank to sell 10 million carbon credits generated from protecting its rainforests, at $5 per credit, the standard rate for World Bank-backed programs. READ MORE

AMERICAS

Pew Applauds Belize’s Ambitious Commitment to Protect Coastal Wetlands

BELIZE – The Pew Charitable Trusts today congratulated the government of Belize for committing to protect and restore mangrove and seagrass ecosystems within its updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. The country’s actions will help safeguard the vital ecosystem, biodiversity, and climate benefits that these habitats provide.”Coastal ecosystems have historically been a vital part of Belize’s natural and cultural heritage,” said Dr. Kenrick Williams, CEO of Belize’s National Climate Change Office within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management. “By committing to the protection, conservation, restoration, and expansion of these ecosystems, we aim to demonstrate the important role that nature-based solutions can play in reducing climate risk impacts and absorbing carbon, in addition to a multiplicity of other social and economic benefits. In the long term, Belize will continue to show real leadership in valuing the contribution of these systems that so many of our people depend on for their protection and livelihood.” READ MORE

Successful mangrove restoration on Pigeon Key

USA – On the day after #WorldMangroveDay, a coalition of motivated and dedicated volunteers from all over the Keys joined forces on Pigeon Key to plant over 1,000 red mangrove seedlings. Mangroves protect coastlines from storm surge and erosion, sequester carbon, and absorb harmful nutrient runoff that can kill corals. Hurricane Irma destroyed almost all the critical mangrove habitat on the island, so the Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center worked to get native mangroves to the island and volunteers to plant them. Last October, the Conch Republic Marine Army collected thousands of mangrove propagules to help with this effort. Florida mangrove restoration organization MANG grew the propagules into year-old seedlings in its mainland nurseries and led restoration efforts for the day. “You’re going to have to dig deep and get a little dirty,” Mang co-founder Kyle Rossin told the crowd. Armed with buckets of “baby mangs” and tools to help dig on the rocky shores, volunteers from local schools and organizations took up his challenge. READ MORE

ASIA

Bhitarkanika’s mangrove ecosystem may suffer due to reduced freshwater supply

INDIA – Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary could be poised for a significant rise in salinity levels and change in vegetation pattern across the crucial mangrove ecosystem, thanks to a projected drastic reduction in freshwater flow into the Ramsar site over the next few decades. The hydro-ecological assessment report of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) which used modeling systems to calculate fresh water supply to the sanctuary in the coming years says that future developments could seriously impact growth of the area. The report says freshwater availability at Bhitarkanika sanctuary’s boundary will be reduced by about 38-44 per cent (pc) during monsoon and 33-39 pc during non-monsoon. This might increase salinity level to a great extent. The key impact of reduced freshwater flow on mangrove health will be reflected through increased salinity and reduced flow of sediments which can have serious consequences on species composition. READ MORE

SK Innovation wins achievement award from Vietnam for its mangrove forest restoration project

KOREA – SK Innovation announced on August 30 that it had been recognized for its contribution to the mangrove forest restoration project, which is a practical ESG (environmental, social, and governance) management activity, by the Vietnamese government of Tra Vinh. On August 9, the Vietnamese government of Tra Vinh recognized the contribution to mangrove forest restoration and conservation of natural resources, and awarded the achievement award to SK Innovation and Manglub, a social enterprise that successfully carried out business in Vietnam. Manglub, a social enterprise nurtured by SK Innovation, received this award in the sense that it is developing and operating various educational platforms for reforestation and monitoring of mangrove forests in Vietnam and improving environmental awareness of local residents three years after its establishment. SK Innovation was highly praised for continuing the mangrove forest restoration project despite difficulties in local planting activities due to the impact of COVID-19. READ MORE

Mangrove restoration scales up in Indonesia

INDONESIA – As the risks of sea level rise, stronger tropical storms and seawater intrusion grow due to climate change, Indonesia is ramping up efforts to protect mangrove ecosystems across the archipelago as part of both its Covid-19 recovery efforts and climate change commitments. Currently, Indonesia has about 3.2 million hectares of mangroves. The goal is to rehabilitate 150,000 hectares of degraded mangrove this year, and a total of 600,000 hectares by 2023. The effort is being led by Indonesia’s coordinating minister for maritime affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and the Ministry for Environment and Forestry, with support from the World Bank and local NGOs. “The government of Indonesia has taken several bold initiatives to protect and restore critical coastal ecosystems, particularly coral reefs and mangroves,” said Andre Aquino, senior natural resources management specialist at the World Bank’s environment and natural resources global practice, during an online press event. Indonesia has about 23% of the world’s mangroves, and they store an estimated 3.14 billion metric tonnes of carbon, according to the World Bank. The figure used to be much higher, however. READ MORE

Northern Samar reopens Lalaguna Mangrove Eco Park to tourists

PHILIPPINES – “The development of Lalaguna Mangrove Eco Park in Barangay San Isidro, aims to create livelihood and other social enterprise opportunities to the community surrounding the Lalaguna Bay while at the same time promote environmental protection and management,” the provincial government said. The park, which offers new attractions with the completion of its receiving area and the Kaluy-ahan trail and view deck, can be reached through a 30-minute motorboat ride from the Lavezares port. A maximum of 100 visitors is allowed to enter the park. According to the provincial government, responsible visitation is being promoted by the LMEP management to preserve its natural state and protect the environment. READ MORE

Farmers benefiting from BRGM mangrove planting program

INDONESIA – The mangrove planting program developed by the Peatland and Mangrove Rehabilitation Agency (BRGM) in East Kalimantan is benefiting fish farmers and helping preserve the beach environment, an official has said. “The mangrove planting program is very beneficial for farmers. They feel that mangroves create living space for fish and crabs. Let’s hope that farmers can yield the benefit and the forest can become green once again,” head of a fish farmers group Borneo Mangrove Lestari, Ilham, said. In a written statement issued here on Saturday, BRGM stated that it has developed mangrove planting programs in Muara Badak, Ulu, and Kutai Karta Negara in East Kalimantan over an area of 162 hectares. READ MORE

OCEANA

Hypersaline water leaking into Adelaide mangroves again as ‘horrible history repeats’

AUSTALIA – Hypersaline water is again leaking into mangroves from faulty ponds in Adelaide’s north, prompting calls for urgent action to avoid a repeat of last year’s ecological disaster that killed swathes of marshland. Some 10 hectares of mangroves and 35ha of salt marsh adjacent to the St Kilda Mangrove Trail has died since an adjacent salt mining company last year filled gypsum ponds with hypersaline water against the terms of its tenancy. The water leaked through cracks in the pond’s lining and started killing the mangrove forest immediately, with experts warning there were signs of stress and dieback in a greater 193ha area. Environmental expert Peri Coleman said pumping to remove the water was left too late, making it near impossible to remove the brine because the salt had started crystalising. READ MORE