6 days ago
Racing Against Time: The International Call to Save the World's Mangroves
In Abu Dhabi last December, more than 300 global experts, policymakers and community leaders came together with one resounding message: we are racing against the clock to save our mangroves. At the first International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference (IMCRC), organised by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), delegates from 82 countries sounded the alarm: nearly 50 per cent of the world's mangroves are at risk of collapse by 2050 due to relentless human-driven pressures. Their interventions emphasised the need for urgent collective action to protect these vital ecosystems, rehabilitate those affected and promote sustainable management practices.
The IMCRC also highlighted Abu Dhabi's growing role as a global hub for mangrove science and restoration leadership. Through ADMI, a comprehensive programme that includes all projects and research concerned with protecting and restoring mangrove and blue carbon systems in the emirate, and under the leadership of EAD in partnership with The Global Mangrove Alliance, the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Global Ocean Decade Programme for Blue Carbon, and other international partners, the conference underscored the urgent need to accelerate global efforts on mangrove conservation and restoration, as well as the UAE's leadership position as a centre for innovation, research and large-scale ecological restoration.
Coinciding with the International Day for the Conservation of Mangroves, which is celebrated annually to raise global awareness of the importance of these coastal ecosystems and enhance international efforts to protect and restore them, the call was renewed to unite efforts to conserve this vital resource. Mangrove forests are more than just coastal greenery – they are powerful natural shields against rising seas and storms, vital nurseries for marine life and powerful carbon sinks critical for mitigating climate change. The planet cannot afford to lose these irreplaceable ecosystems. Protecting what we have left is no longer optional – it is a global imperative.
Despite sobering warnings, the conference sparked a sense of optimism. Scientific breakthroughs, successful community-led initiatives, and a growing wave of political momentum are offering a blueprint for mangrove survival – and perhaps even a large-scale comeback.
Science-Based Mangrove Restoration:
Over the past three decades, more than one million hectares of mangroves have been lost, but experts at IMCRC emphasised that about 70 per cent of this loss, which is over 800,000 hectares of mangroves, are available for restoration globally.
At the heart of this transformation is Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR), an approach rooted in science, community engagement, and deep respect for natural processes. EMR prioritises restoring the essential ecological conditions of hydrology, soil health, and tidal flows that allow mangroves to naturally regenerate. Scientific studies confirm that nature has an innate ability to recover when the appropriate conditions are available, without the need for human intervention, but only through protecting sites or rehabilitating hydrological systems. When nature leads the way, the results are stronger forests, richer biodiversity and real resilience against climate impacts.
In this context, the importance of mangrove restoration programmes based on accurate scientific foundations emerges. These programmes are among the most prominent tools for positive intervention to accelerate the pace of environmental recovery. By selecting appropriate sites, adopting local species and applying modern agricultural techniques, these programmes contribute to the rehabilitation of damaged habitats and enhance the ability of these ecosystems to adapt to climate change and ongoing pressures.
Connecting Nature, Empowering People:
Another major outcome of the conference was the recognition that mangrove conservation cannot happen in isolation. Experts championed a coastal and seascape approach: restoring corridors from mangroves to seagrasses to coral reefs and ensuring upstream river connectivity.
Crucially, the conference placed local communities at the centre of future mangrove strategies. Across sessions, speakers echoed a simple truth: successful mangrove conservation must be by the people and for the people.
Communities who depend on mangroves for fisheries, storm protection, and livelihoods must be engaged from the start – with clear land tenure rights, capacity-building programmes, and diversified income opportunities like eco-tourism and sustainable fisheries. Mangroves and local communities are interdependent and when communities thrive, so do mangroves.
Financing the Future:
One of the stark challenges highlighted was funding. To scale up restoration to the required level for success, large and diversified investments – from governments, private companies and philanthropic organisations – must flow faster. The Mangrove Breakthrough, introduced at COP27, aims to mobilise $4 billion for mangrove protection and restoration by 2030, bridging critical gaps between policy, finance and action.
But financing must go beyond carbon credits. Delegates called for financial models that recognise the full suite of mangrove ecosystem services – from biodiversity protection to disaster risk reduction – and channel funds into long-term, science-driven, community-anchored projects.
The reality is stark: $8 trillion in investment is needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis, and annual financing for nature must quadruple by 2050. Small-scale projects alone cannot meet this challenge – scaling up investment is key.
In this context, the ADMI Partnership Programme represents a promising model. It enables organisations within and outside the emirate to collaborate on joint initiatives to rehabilitate and protect mangrove trees, enhancing their ability to have a tangible positive impact on nature, climate and society. This programme is based on a scientific approach to effectively and sustainably restore coastal areas and calls for the integration of efforts between the public and private sectors and various stakeholders.
Speakers were clear-eyed: urgent action must follow urgent words. The final message from the conference declared: 'We have the knowledge. We have the tools. What we need now is scale, speed and solidarity.'
The world has a narrow window to secure the future of mangroves. The IMCRC marked an important milestone – a rallying point for a rising global movement committed to protecting one of nature's most extraordinary, life-giving ecosystems. The race is on – but with science, community and political will aligned, the future can still be one where mangroves not only survive, but flourish.
About Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi EAD
Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda.
About Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative:
Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative ADMI is the first of its kind in the region, launched in partnership between Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Zoological Society of London during the visit of Prince William with H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2022. Supporting global biodiversity conservation and restoration goals and the UAE's climate goals, it is establishing a Mangrove Conservation Centre of Excellence in the UAE. The initiative represents an umbrella for all coastal conservation and restoration projects locally, provides a platform for regional and international collaboration as well as encouraging necessary public-private partnerships.
