Shrimp farming and its concomitant human rights violations; irresponsible tourism; agriculture; aquaculture; coastal development and charcoal and timber extraction are push these habitats to the edge.
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Sadly, that’s not surprising. Biodiversity hotspots around the world are being relentlessly targeted for their resources without informing the wildlife or indigenous communities that suffer as a result.
The impact of mangrove deforestation is multifaceted. Due to the systematic destruction of these often overlooked ecosystems, huge amount Stored carbon is released into the atmosphere, which further contributes to climate collapse, fueling storms and extreme weather events.
Only 100 meters of mangroves can reduce wave energy more than two-thirdsbut when these habitats disappear, coastal communities are exposed and vulnerable to Increasing storm surge.
Hermawan added: “Because the fish ponds were over-expanded, there was no protection whatsoever. So when the tsunami hit, it caused 90 percent of the damage, and the mangroves probably [have been] Reduce to 10% – we have the data.world [must] Learn that we need nature conservation. “
Mangrove replanting projects, such as the Akar Bhumi mangrove planting program in Indonesia, are critical to the successful restoration of these amazing habitats.
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But it’s not enough – we must protect and restore What are we left with.
We need to transform our relationship with nature from one of exploitation to one of respect, protection and harmony. By partnering with these communities while driving global policy change, we can protect these unique ecosystems and the people who depend on them.
Thriving natural ecosystems contribute to our well-being and the health of the planet.our capabilities Survive and prosper The world depends on these valuable and diverse ecosystems.
Every one of our human rights depends on a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Fresh air to breathe, water to drink, and food to sustain us: these ecosystems underpin the lives of all of us, not just coastal communities.
this Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework The protection and conservation of mangroves and all other precious ecosystems must be ensured, and these areas of biodiversity must be placed in the most At the heart of climate action.
biodiversity
Mangroves can store up to four times There is more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforests – by protecting these ecosystems, we can protect ourselves.
Almost universally, between 2011-2020 we failed to meet Aichi Biodiversity Targets – At this year’s COP15, we cannot continue in this way.
When we spoke to Hendrik in Indonesia, he said, “I know knowledge is hard because when we have knowledge, it means we also have responsibility.”
We know what we must do to protect mangroves and global biodiversity, and that knowledge makes it our responsibility to act now to protect the future of our planet. There is no time to waste.
this author
Steve Trent is the founder and CEO of the Environmental Justice Foundation.
