Context: July 26 is the International Day for Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems, established by UNESCO in 2015. This day highlights the unique and vulnerable nature of mangroves and promotes their sustainable management and conservation.

• Mangroves, often called ‘sentinels of the coast,’ offer numerous benefits. They protect shorelines, mitigate storm and cyclone impacts, support fish nurseries, sequester carbon and nutrients, maintain genetic diversity, and provide other ecological advantages.

• India’s mangrove area grew from 4,046 sq km in 1987 to 4,992 sq km in 2019, as reported by the Forest Survey of India. This progress is notable compared to the global decline of 3.4% in mangrove cover since 1996.

About Mangroves

• Location: Mangroves are found in tropical and subtropical areas, i.e., between 25°N and 25°S latitude. 

• Significance: Mangroves are often called ‘sentinels of the coast’ given their ability to protect shorelines, absorb impacts of storms and cyclones, support fish nurseries, lock up carbon and nutrients, provide a gene pool, and offer a host of other benefits. 

• World Mangrove Day Adaptation: Mangroves have specialized adaptation to survive in the extreme conditions of the coastal environment. 

• They have the ability to survive in waterlogged and anoxic soil, and to tolerate brackish water with the adaptations. 

• Stilt Roots 

• Pneumatophores 

• Salt Excretory Glands 

• Salt Excluding Roots 

• Viviparous seeds

• There are 24-29 families and around 70 species in the world. 

• Global Rankings: Indonesia has the largest area of mangrove forest – totalling 20% of the global total – followed by Brazil, Australia, Mexico and Nigeria, which together contain almost half of the world’s mangroves.

Mangrove Conservation In India

• Increase in Numbers: The extent of mangroves in the country has increased from 4,046 square kilometre (sq km) in 1987 to 4,992 sq km in 2019, according to biennial assessments published by the Forest Survey of India.

• India is one of the few countries with positive trends in mangrove cover. 

• Total Mangrove Sites in India: As of 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has documented 38 mangrove sites across India, according to the Annual Report MoEF&CC 2020-21. 

• Maharashtra: It boasts the highest count of mangrove sites within a state, with 10 sites, closely followed by Orissa with 7 sites.

• States like Maharashtra have established a separate Mangrove Cell to ensure a consistent focus on the conservation and management of these ecosystems.   

• Global Number Decreasing: The Global Mangrove Alliance, which maintains consistent global datasets on mangrove cover, has estimated that worldwide, since 1996, there has been a net global loss of mangrove cover by 3.4 per cent, with the losses having occurred globally at rates twice the gains. 

Significance

• Disaster Mitigation: Mangrove coverage acts as a natural barrier, reducing the impact of waves and protecting coastal areas from erosion. 

• It stabilizes sedimentation and mitigates coastal flooding, thus providing a valuable defence against natural disasters. 

• A recent study estimated that India’s mangrove systems provide annual flood protection benefits of over $7.8 billion.

• Ex: During Supercyclone Amphan in 2020, Sundarbans mangroves played a big role in protecting the life and livelihood of millions of people by acting as a bio-shield and protecting the embankments.

• Mangroves are an essential part of the “build back better” strategy in response to sea storms, tsunamis, and cyclones.

• Ecosystem Services: Mangrove provide critical habitats of a diverse range of plant and animal species, and marine organisms, including commercially important fish species. 

• Sundarbans host the world’s largest mangrove forest and are home to endangered species like the Bengal tiger and Ganges river dolphin.

• Natural Filter: Mangrove forests improve water quality and act as natural filters by trapping sediments, pollutants and excess nutrients. 

• They play a role in the well-being of coastal communities and health of marine ecosystems.

• Carbon Sequestration: Mangrove ecosystems can absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass and sediments in a process known as sequestration. 

• Globally, they are estimated to sequester 22.86 metric gigatonnes of CO2, which is about half the annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, land-use and industry. 

• This buried carbon is known as “blue carbon” because it is stored underwater in coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrass beds and salt marshes. 

• Livelihood: Mangroves contribute significantly to the livelihoods of 900,000 fisher households in India. 

• They support artisanal fisheries and provide food and income for the local population. 

• Roughly about 60% of India’s coastal marine fish species are dependent on the mangrove ecosystem.

• Mangrove forests play a crucial role in nurturing estuaries and supporting nature-based economies.

• Tourism and recreation: Mangroves provide opportunities for eco-tourism, birding, kayaking, and other nature-based activities that can support local communities’ sustainable economic growth.

Issues with mangrove conservation in India

• Decline in Natural Coastal Wetlands: The National Decadal Wetland Change Atlas reports a decline in natural coastal wetlands from 3.69 million hectares in 2006 to 3.62 million hectares in 2018.

• Loss of Intertidal Mudflats: Intertidal mudflats, important for migratory birds and carbon storage, have been reduced due to mangrove plantations and other causes. Changing these mudflats to mangrove areas leads to a loss of their vital functions.

• Restoration Challenge: Mangrove restoration usually involves planting propagules, a method popular after the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. However, these efforts face low survival rates and may not tackle the root causes of mangrove loss.

• Accommodation Space: Mangroves need space to adjust to rising sea levels and accumulating sediments. In cities like Mumbai, where development encroaches on mangroves, the lack of this space can hinder their ability to adapt to climate change.

• Threats to Mangroves: Mangroves are threatened by over-harvesting, pollution, land conversion, and development.

• Impact of Climate Change: Climate change affects mangroves with rising sea levels, higher temperatures, and more frequent storms. While warmer temperatures could promote growth, increased storms and sea level rise are major challenges.

Key Suggestion

• Broadening Policy Targets: Policy should focus on overall coastal ecosystem health, not just expanding mangrove cover. Mangroves are interconnected with mudflats, lagoons, and other ecosystems, so preserving these areas and supporting coastal communities is more meaningful.

• Forward looking Management: Management should rather be looking into future scenarios, informed by tremendous advances in climate modelling and integrate suitable mitigation and adaptation options while implementing management plans.

• Incorporating Climate Risks: Managing mangroves and coastal ecosystems must address climate risks and include adaptation strategies. Climate models should be designed as per local hydrological and ecological conditions.

• Expanding Restoration Tools: Mangrove restoration should expand to include hydrological and sediment restoration, along with combined grey-green solutions.

• Integrating Sector Plans: Sector plans for water, disaster management, fisheries, and tourism must consider the needs of mangroves and coastal ecosystems.

• Assessing Ecosystem Values: Coastal resilience should be based on understanding the value of ecosystems and involve everyone in society. The new National Coastal Mission may lead to these changes.

• Adopting an inclusive “all of society” approach: Multiple values of coastal ecosystems need to be assessed and form the basis of societal behaviour change at all levels towards building coastal resilience. Adopting an inclusive “all of society” approach should be the core of this approach. 

Conclusion

• India’s 2030 vision of becoming a five trillion economy rests on ten elements — one of which is the blue economy — the economy sustained by coasts and oceans. Ensuring that our sentinels of the coast are conserved and effectively managed is critical to this goal. And this would require that mangrove conservation efforts incorporate major policy and programming shifts.