Rising sea levels, linked to climate change, are threatening pacific mangroves, according to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report claims that projected sea-level increases of 9-88cm over this century could lead to the loss of 13 percent of mangrove area in 16 pacific island countries or territories studied, with losses as high as 50 percent on some islands.
The loss of a single hectare of mangroves is estimated to cost local communities between 200 and 900 thousand US dollars in lost revenues, due to the importance of these plants as an input in local products and services. Mangroves also play an essential role in protecting coastlines from erosion and storms, supporting water quality, and providing breeding grounds for fish.
Achim Steiner, UNEP's Executive Director called on industrialized nations to meet their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty limiting the emission of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere but noted the "urgent need to help vulnerable communities adapt to the sea level rise which is already underway." Preserving existing mangroves will require coastal planners to reduce pollution from land-based sources in order to make existing mangroves more healthy and resilient, restore lost or degraded mangrove wetlands, and set back coastal infrastructure and development to allow mangroves to spread inland.
RELATED LINKS:
The extent of mangrove area in various countries, including a number of pacific island states or territories, is available from the Earthtrends searchable database of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems.
Average sea-level rises, recorded by satellite, are available from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
A full copy of the report and the associated press release are available here.
