Preserving Mangroves: a Natural Rampart against the ravages of Climate Change

With an ever-rising amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, countries are in a race against the clock to find ways to capture and store carbon and mitigate the effects of climate change. It turns out that mangrove ecosystems are particularly effective at doing so. Classified as “blue carbon”: they can absorb up to four times more carbon than forests. This unique capacity makes them key players in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and curbing global warming.
 

World Tour of AFD’s initiatives to protect mangroves

Natural shields against coastal erosion

Mangroves don’t just store carbon: they are also natural shields that protect coastlines against erosion and storms. This enables them to bolster the resilience of coastal communities against climate disasters. They are also home to a bewildering array of biodiversity that is essential for the survival of many marine species and for the livelihood of millions of people. 

According to a report by the Global Mangrove Alliance, 4.1 million fishers are directly dependent on resources available in mangroves. The report estimates that mangroves are part of the life cycle of nearly 600 billion shrimp and fish, as well as 100 billion crabs and mollusks.

Yet, despite their critical importance, mangroves are in peril. Rapid urbanization, pollution, intensive aquaculture, and the effects of climate change are putting immense pressure on these ecosystems. The most recent data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) indicate that 50% of the mangroves identified worldwide are now threatened, with close to 20% classified as high risk. Climate change alone threatens 33% of existing mangrove ecosystems.

How did this situation come about? The role of mangroves often remains largely undervalued, and funding for their preservation is insufficient. In many countries, governments have neither forged a strategy nor provided funding for the protection of mangroves, and are therefore unable to tap their massive potential for carbon sequestration and coastal protection.

See also: “Development Banks Work Together to Make the Oceans a Priority”

Nature-based solutions

Alive to the key role played by mangroves in protecting both environments and communities, AFD joined the Mangroves Initiative in 2019. Carried out in partnership with the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), this initiative recognizes mangroves as nature-based solutions (NBS) and seeks to share best practices, increase scientific knowledge, and support conservation projects in Asia and Africa. A group of experts has been set up to promote innovation and validate approaches used for mangrove protection, thereby ensuring the sustainable management of these vital ecosystems.

The Blue Carbon Facility

Launching the Blue Carbon Facility in June 2024 at the “Immersed in Change” summit in Costa Rica, AFD reaffirmed and strengthened its commitment to preserving so-called blue carbon ecosystems.

The Blue Carbon Facility focuses on three priorities, which Emmanuel Baudran, Deputy Executive Director of Sustainable Development Solutions at AFD, stated at the summit: 

“The first priority of this initiative is to increase knowledge on coastal ecosystems. This involves making an inventory, mapping, and analysis of the process of degradation, so that we can better understand how mangroves work and what threats they face. The second priority is to incorporate these blue carbon ecosystems into biodiversity-conservation and climate-change strategies, both nationally and internationally. Finally, the third priority is to test new financing mechanisms, such as carbon credits, to encourage the conservation and restoration of these valuable environments.” 

See also: “Boosting Blue Finance to Protect the Oceans”

Varuna: a good practice (more information in the “world tour” above)

The Varuna initiative, which started up in 2022 in the southwest Indian Ocean with Expertise France, is one of the most successful versions of this new “blue carbon” strategy. Varuna has also introduced a new way of working on the subject, focused on partnerships and the co-construction of solutions with the local communities most directly affected by ecosystem degradation. It works with many regional and international players on research and dialogue between the private and public sectors.  

The Varuna Initiative demonstrates that carefully coordinated local action between recognized experts – be they academics, business leaders, non-profit organization members, or direct beneficiaries of mangroves – has a much more effective overall impact on their preservation and, ultimately, on the resilience of the coasts most exposed to climate change.