Risong Bay Mangroves, Risong Bay, Micronesia, Palau. Mangrove forests transport carbon dioxide from the air and store the carbon dioxide in greater quantities than any other types of forests. They are one the best scrubbers of carbon dioxide so environmentalists know they must be protectedPhoto Credit: Reinhard Dirscherl/Getty Images
Environment The WorldMission to Restore Mangroves Worldwide Is Working!
Mangroves around the world have seen a sharp decline in deforestation.
The annual rate of mangrove deforestation dropped between 2010 and 2020 to a fifth of what it was between 1996 and 2010. The number of protected mangroves has also increased 17 percent since 2012, with 42 percent of mangroves having official protection today, according to UNESCO numbers.
“The State of the World’s Mangroves” released by the Global Mangrove Alliance lists a three-step plan to ending mangrove loss. The plan states that all new deforestation projects must be stopped, that recently lost mangroves must be restored and that the number of mangroves that have official protection must be doubled. The Global Mangrove Alliance has launched an initiative to protect and restore around 37 million acres of mangroves globally by 2030.
