Mangrove Ecosystem – Importance & Threats – Explained Pointwise

As world grapples with extreme weather events & rising sea levels, blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves are critical to climate & economic resilience. However, historically, mangroves have been on the margins of planning & policy priorities in spite of their vital role in anchoring coastal economies & protecting millions from climate extremes.

What are Mangroves?

• Mangrove forests are a unique type of coastal rainforest found in tropical and subtropical regions. They are characterized by trees and shrubs that thrive in saline and waterlogged conditions, typically along estuaries, deltas, and sheltered coastlines.
• Key features of Mangrove forests:
  • Adaptation to Saline Water: Mangrove trees have developed special adaptations, such as salt-filtering roots and salt-excreting leaves, to survive in saltwater environments.
  • Pneumatophores: Aerial roots that grow upwards from the soil, allowing the roots to breathe (e.g., Avicennia species).
  • Prop Roots/Stilt Roots: Roots that grow from the trunk and branches, providing stability in soft, muddy substrates (e.g., Rhizophora species).
  • Vivipary: Seeds germinate while still attached to the parent tree, increasing their chances of survival in the harsh environment.
• Some important mangrove forests in India are:
  • Sundarbans, West Bengal: This is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s famous for its unique biodiversity, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, and is formed by the confluence of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers.
  • Bhitarkanika, Odisha: The second-largest mangrove ecosystem in India, known for its rich biodiversity, including saltwater crocodiles. It’s a Ramsar site and a National Park.
  • Pichavaram, Tamil Nadu: One of the largest mangrove forests in Tamil Nadu, known for its unique backwater system and eco-tourism.
• The Sundarbans are located in the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. They get both fresh water from rivers and salty water from the Bay of Bengal.

What is the importance of Mangroves?

1. Biodiversity Hotspots: They are rich in diverse flora and fauna, supporting unique species adapted to the intertidal zone.
2. Coastal Protection: Mangroves act as natural barriers, protecting coastlines from erosion, storm surges, tsunamis, and high winds, thereby reducing the impact of natural disasters.
3. Nurseries for Marine Life: Their intricate root systems provide sheltered breeding and nursery grounds for a wide array of fish, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates, which in turn supports coastal fisheries.
4. Carbon Sinks: These ecosystems are highly effective at sequestering large amounts of “blue carbon” (carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems) in their biomass and sediments, contributing to climate change mitigation.
5. Livelihood Support: Mangroves directly support the livelihoods of millions of coastal communities through activities like fisheries, honey collection, and sustainable forestry products.

What are the threats that they are facing?

1. Anthropogenic Pressures:
   • Encroachment and Conversion: For aquaculture (shrimp farms), agriculture, urban development, and industrial expansion.
   • Pollution: Discharge of industrial effluents, domestic sewage, and agricultural runoff.
   • Over-exploitation: Unsustainable harvesting of timber, fuelwood, and non-timber forest products.
2. Climate Change:
   • Sea-Level Rise: Mangroves are highly sensitive to sea-level rise, which can inundate them beyond their tolerance levels.
   • Increased Frequency of Extreme Weather Events: Cyclones and storms can severely damage mangrove forests.
3. Reduced Freshwater Flow: Diversion of river water for irrigation and other uses reduces freshwater flow to deltas, increasing salinity and stressing mangroves.
4. Invasive Species: Non-native species may outcompete or disrupt native mangrove species, reducing biodiversity and changing ecosystem dynamics.

What have been the various initiatives for the conservation of mangrove ecosystem?

1. MISHTI Scheme (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes): Launched in June 2023, this flagship program aims to restore and reforest approximately 540 km² of mangroves across 9 states and 3 Union Territories over five years. It promotes best management practices and seeks to make local communities stakeholders in conservation and income generation.
2. National Coastal Mission Programme: Through its ‘Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs’ initiative, the government provides guidance and financial assistance to states for preparing and implementing Management Action Plans (MAPs) focusing on survey, demarcation, afforestation, and awareness.
3. Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification (2019): Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, this regulation strictly regulates development activities in mangrove-adjacent coastal zones.
4. Co-Management Committees: In states like Maharashtra, co-management approaches involving local communities, gram panchayats, and women’s self-help groups have successfully restored mangroves while improving climate resilience and livelihoods.
5. NGO and Public Engagement: Projects led by organizations like WWF India and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme actively involve locals in restoration and stewardship, promoting education and sustainable aquaculture within mangrove ecosystems.
6. Mangrove Alliance for Climate: India became a member of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) in 2022, enhancing international knowledge-sharing and scaling up best conservation practices.

What can be the way forward?

1. Enhance and enforce national and state-level policies: Update and rigorously enforce laws (like India’s CRZ Notification, Forest Acts, and EIA norms) to prohibit destructive activities, enable restoration, and define clear frameworks for ownership and access rights.
2. Integrate mangroves into climate and disaster adaptation plans: Recognize mangroves as “natural coastal infrastructure” and prioritize their protection in all national and local planning.
3. Empower local communities, women’s groups, and indigenous peoples: Communities that posses deep knowledge of mangrove ecosystems & rely on them for their livelihoods – engage them in co-management, benefit-sharing, stewardship, and policy decisions. Capacity-building and community-led restoration have repeatedly proven effective.
4. Emphasize natural regeneration: Move beyond monoculture mass-planting towards methods that facilitate the natural recovery of mangrove ecosystems, with targeted planting only where necessary.
5. Innovate restoration techniques: Employ methods like the “trenched hydrology” approach for better survival and ecosystem function of restored mangroves.
6. Integrated ownership models like Eco-development Communities & Joint Forest Management Committees must be mobilized for conservation of urban mangroves. Engagement platforms like ‘Mangrove Mitras’ can open avenues for urban citizens & local communities to engage constructively in the conservation of mangroves.

Conclusion:
Policymakers & businesses must recognise mangroves as vital climate & economic infrastructure rather than mere biodiversity zones. Protecting & restoring these ecosystems demands a coalition where science, business & community voices work in harmony & tandem – each bringing their unique strengths to secure their future.