China releases first standards for mangrove restoration

China's first technical group standards for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves have been released and implemented, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences' South China Sea Institute of Oceanology.

The standards, led by the institute, are the country's first technical guidelines in the field, addressing the lack of standardized procedures for precise mangrove restoration and evaluation.

They are expected to promote the protection and sustainable development of mangroves further in China.

Mangrove ecosystems, located at the dynamic interface between land and sea in intertidal zones periodically submerged by seawater, are unique coastal ecosystems with high ecological, social and economic value.

They play a critical role in supporting offshore fisheries, purifying the environment, and enhancing carbon sequestration.

However, challenges resulting from global climate change and human activities, such as rising sea levels, abnormal temperatures and increasing pollution, have led to significant environmental changes that threaten these vital ecosystems.

According to the State of the World's Mangroves 2024 report released by the Global Mangrove Alliance, the world's total mangrove area currently stands at approximately 14.7 million hectares, a decrease of 2.3 million hectares compared to the 17 million reported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2005. Alarmingly, 50 percent of the world's mangroves are at risk of collapse.

As a result, accelerating the restoration of damaged mangrove ecosystems has become an urgent priority for international marine science, making mangrove ecological restoration and protection a key focus in global marine research.

China has 27,100 hectares of mangroves. To better protect these ecosystems, the Chinese government launched the Mangrove Protection and Restoration Action Plan (2020-2025) in 2020, aiming to expand the country's mangrove area to 36,000 hectares by 2025, thereby supporting the national "dual carbon" strategy.

At that time, there was no standardized technical protocol for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves, either domestically or internationally.

The development of such guidelines is crucial to standardizing the restoration and evaluation techniques across different habitats, to guiding practical applications, and to promoting the sustainable development of mangrove ecosystems and biological resources in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The new standards establish principles and technical processes for the precise ecological restoration of mangroves in various habitats, including species selection, screening and configuration, and microbial community configuration.

They also provide methods for evaluating the efficacy of mangrove restoration.

The technical specifications proposed in the standards are designed to be practical, easy to implement, and compliant with relevant national laws and regulations.

By filling the gap in this field, the standards ensure that mangrove restoration and assessment efforts are guided by clear criteria, enhancing the ecological health and functions of mangroves, and promoting the development of precise restoration and evaluation practices.

(Cover: Migratory birds roost in the mangroves in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, south China, November 12, 2024. /VCG)