Guarding mangroves, building a blue‑carbon shield

July 26 marks the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, championed by UNESCO to raise awareness of mangrove conservation and promote sustainable management solutions.

As the global coordinating body for mangrove conservation and restoration, the International Mangrove Center (IMC), that recently saw its official website launched, facilitates research, training and policy dialogue, helping countries design and implement effective restoration and conservation strategies.

Mangroves constitute a unique blue‑carbon ecosystem: their dense root networks and high photosynthetic rates make them powerful carbon sinks. They protect coastlines by buffering storm surges and erosion and host nursery grounds for fish, critical habitat for migratory birds, crustaceans and terrestrial fauna – making them irreplaceable, even more so due to their scarcity.

In south China's Guangdong Province, authorities have established 15 mangrove nature education centers. Leveraging annual observances such as World Wetlands Day and International Day for Biological Diversity, these centers host nearly 800 public outreach and training events annually.

Covering everything from planting techniques and ecological monitoring to community stewardship, these programs have deepened public appreciation for mangroves' vital ecosystem services, especially their role in climate mitigation.

Since 2018, south China's island province of Hainan has embarked on large‑scale coastal restoration, successfully restoring over 1,200  hectares of mangroves.

In Sanya City, where mangrove cover now spans 258.69 hectares and is still growing, restoration projects pair native‑seedling planting with real‑time water‑quality monitoring and adaptive management.

This integrated approach not only accelerates vegetation recovery, but also boosts species diversity.

In Kenya, mangrove restoration projects have enhanced ecosystem services and provided livelihood opportunities.

By running nurseries and leading planting exercises – and even hosting eco‑tourism activities – local communities generate stable income streams, effectively turning conservation into a sustainable livelihood.

In North Kalimantan, Indonesia, a demonstration project combines community training with technical support to scale ecological restoration.

Planting several native mangrove species under a strict regime of growth and carbon‑sequestration monitoring has produced a reproducible model, one that other coastal zones can adapt to their own restoration ambitions.

International collaboration and local action go hand in hand.

Volunteering for planting days, helping with scientific monitoring, or supporting community‑led restoration efforts: any of these actions allows individuals to help safeguard these blue‑carbon shields, and bolster both ecological security and climate resilience.

(Cover: Futian Mangrove Ecological Park in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, south China. /VCG)