Earlier this week, India joined the Mangrove Alliance For Climate (MAC) at the ongoing 27th Summit of the Conference of Parties (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. Other members in this alliance include Australia, Japan, UAE, Indonesia, Spain and Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the COP27, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav called mangroves the "most productive ecosystems" of the world. He said that the mangrove shrubs, that often grow in coastal saline or brackish water, can absorb four to five times more carbon emissions than the tropical forests. He added that India has much to contribute to the alliance considering the nation's expertise in "mangrove restoration, studies on ecosystem valuation, and carbon sequestration."
The Mangrove Ecosystem
Mangrove forests are viewed as very resilient because they can survive in extremely hot weather conditions and even low levels of oxygen. They are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical regions with the Sundarbans in West Bengal being the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Half of South Asia's mangrove cover is located in India, with West Bengal leading the way, followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As is the case in Sundarbans, mangrove forests can act as natural barriers against rising tides and storms. They also provide "breeding grounds for marine biodiversity and 80% of global fish populations depend on healthy mangrove ecosystems," as stated in MAC's website.
Moreover, mangroves store ten times more carbon per hectare than terrestrial forests, making their preservation critical for controlling carbon emission levels in the world. Once mangroves die naturally, the carbon stored in them is taken to the ground, instead of being released outside.
Mangrove Alliance For Climate
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with Indonesia, took the initiative to form this alliance at the ongoing COP27 summit in Egypt. The main objectives are to improve the pace and scale of mangrove conservation, as well as restoration, across the world.
The alliance hopes to spread awareness about the important role to be played by mangrove forests in combatting climate change. MAC seeks to "scale up, accelerate conservation, restoration and growing plantation efforts of mangrove ecosystems for the benefit of communities globally, and recognize the importance of these ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation," according to their official website.
The upcoming G20 Summit that will be held in Bali on November 15-16 will further amplify MAC's agenda.
