Mangroves in Danger: 50% of Mangrove Ecosystems Could Disappear Due to Climate Change, Deforestation and Pollution [Study]

Mangroves are trees or shrubs considered natural coastal barriers, mainly against flooding caused by tsunamis, storm surges, and even sea level rise. In the context of climate change, mangrove ecosystems serve as coastal defenses since their soils are known for storing relatively large amounts of carbon dioxide. The latter is a greenhouse gas that accelerates the greenhouse effect.

Despite the abundance of mangroves in different coastal areas on Earth, a new study warns that the world's mangrove ecosystems are in danger due to the threat posed by anthropogenic climate change, deforestation, and pollution. The threat involves the partial destruction of these coastal plants, which could result in decreased carbon storage and the further warming of the planet.

Mangrove Ecosystems Under Threat

In recent years, mangroves have faced the largest regional threats from anthropogenic factors, including tourism, urbanization, and mangrove forest encroachment. These threats are in addition to natural disasters and shrimp aquaculture. In light of the new research paper, scientists confirm that the current climate crisis is aggravating the mangrove threats in an unprecedented scale in years.

In a warning by conservationists on Wednesday, May 22, projections show more than 50% of Earth's mangrove ecosystems are facing the risk of collapse by the year 2050. This warning is according to the first global mangrove assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The estimation of the study was made possible by using the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.

The ecosystem group IUCN conducted an extensive assessment of mangrove ecosystems across the planet, with nearly 20% of the assessed mangroves are at high risk of collapse, according to its Wednesday press release.

Mangrove Threats

This is not the first time that climate change, deforestation, and pollution have been attributed as major threats to mangrove ecosystems. In recent years, environmental experts have also warned of these emerging threats observed over the past century. This period saw rapid industrial developments and land use expansion; in line with the advancement of modernization.

In 2022, it was reported that deforestation in Asia, Australia, and Sub-Saharan Africa is resulting in the disappearance of mangroves, according to Avit Bhowmik, a professor at Stockholm University in Sweden. Bhowmik's assessment showed that the following human activities or natural phenomena are the main drivers to mangrove threats:

• Forest clearing
• Pollution
• Climate change
• Sea level rise
• Drought
• Coastal acidity
• Urbanization
• Coastal development

Climate Change Impact

Prior to the May 2024 study, researchers back in 2016 specified climate change impacts to mangroves at regional scales; some of them include rising sea levels, increased storm events, altered precipitation, and increasing temperature. While the mentioned mangrove threats seem recurring, the findings show a pattern that could potentially escalate in the coming years and decades.

Based on the 2016 research, the following threats can hinder the productivity, growth, and health of mangroves worldwide, including across the Americas, Asia, Australia, East Africa, and West Africa.