Study shows how to maximize mangroves as climate and community solution
Study shows how to maximize mangroves as climate and community ... Mongabay.com
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Mangroves as a Climate and Community Solution
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Climate Change
- Climate Change and Conservation
- Conservation
- Ecological Restoration
- Environmental Politics
- Forests
- Impact of Climate Change
- Mangroves
- Nature-based climate solutions
- Protected Areas
- Research
- Restoration
- Tropical Forests
- Mangroves’ high carbon storage capacity can help countries meet their carbon emission reduction targets under the Paris Agreement, while also producing benefits for local communities.
- Recent research using data from Belize has quantified mangrove carbon storage and sequestration potential and identified where the country should prioritize conservation and restoration to maximize ecosystem services that would benefit multiple sectors.
- The research has been used by Belizean authorities to update national climate targets, committing to protect an extra 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of mangroves and restore another 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) by 2030, which could provide an example for other national blue carbon strategies.
- The study also took into account the point where mangrove protection and restoration begin to offer diminishing returns, which would allow authorities to adjust the ambition of climate mitigation and adaptation via mangroves.
Mangroves’ capacity to store carbon — up to five times more than upland tropical forests — makes them a powerful natural solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change. But according to a recent study that argues carbon storage and sequestration via mangroves can be both a climate solution and an economic boon, few countries have accounted for this type of nature-based solution when making their emissions reduction pledges, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs), to the Paris climate agreement.
The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, focused on Belize and quantified how much carbon its mangroves capture and store, while also looking where mangrove conservation needs to be prioritized so that both climate and local economic goals can be met.
Belize is renowned for its marine resource management and conservation. The Natural Capital Project, based at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, which conducted the new research, has been collaborating with WWF Belize and the Belize government since 2010, helping the country use a science-driven approach to incorporate the benefits of different ecosystems into its sustainable development planning.
“In 2020, we identified the opportunity to inform the Belize revised national contributions under the Paris climate change agreement through our partnership,” said study co-author Jade Delevaux, a life science researcher with the marine team at the Natural Capital Project. “With support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF, Belize formed the National Blue Carbon Working Group to help guide updates to Belize’s NDCs to include evidence-based targets for restoration or protection of mangroves and seagrasses.”
Quantifying Mangrove Carbon Storage and Sequestration
To assess how much carbon mangroves absorb and stock (storage), the research team made vegetation measurements and collected sediment core samples.
“Vegetation measurements are used to estimate how much carbon is stored as biomass. The rate of carbon sequestration is calculated based on the carbon sediment stocks and the age of the sediment measured from the core samples. Rigorous measurements need to reflect those changes,” Delevaux told Mongabay.
Using mangrove distribution maps, the experts then determined where protection or restoration needed to happen according to the level of degradation.
“The flow of co-benefits provided by mangroves vary spatially and thus can influence where to prioritize mangrove protection and restoration,” Delevaux said. “Our analysis identified patches of mangroves or areas where restoring mangroves can help bolster local benefits to Belizean communities, while promoting blue carbon sequestration to meet Belize’s climate goals.”
Results showed that the most important places for investing in mangrove protection were outside existing marine protected areas. But the study also points out there can be a limit to conservation, after which the benefits begin to diminish. Understanding that inflection point could help authorities adjust just how ambitious their conservation and restoration plans need to be.
The study has supported Belizean policymakers in updating the country’s NDCs
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 15: Life on Land
The article discusses the role of mangroves in carbon storage and sequestration, which directly relates to climate action (SDG 13). It also mentions the benefits of mangroves for marine ecosystems and biodiversity, which aligns with goals related to life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems
- Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats
The article highlights how Belize has updated its national climate targets (NDCs) to include evidence-based targets for the protection and restoration of mangroves. This aligns with the targets mentioned above, as Belize is integrating climate change measures into its policies, sustainably managing marine and coastal ecosystems through mangrove conservation, and taking action to reduce degradation of natural habitats.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into national policies, strategies, and planning
- Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches
- Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index
The article mentions that Belize has updated its national climate targets based on research on mangrove carbon storage and sequestration potential. The number of countries that integrate nature-based solutions like mangrove conservation into their policies and planning can be used as an indicator for progress towards Target 13.2.1. The proportion of marine areas managed using ecosystem-based approaches, such as mangrove protection, can be an indicator for Target 14.2.1. The Red List Index, which measures changes in the overall extinction risk of species, can be used as an indicator for Target 15.5.1.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into national policies, strategies, and planning |
| SDG 14: Life Below Water | Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems | Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats | Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index |
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Source: news.mongabay.com
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