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KNOWLEDGE BASE

Mangroves as climate adaptation, not only mitigation

Besides storing carbon, mangroves cut wave energy and shelter shorelines.

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Intermediate 1 min read adaptationstormscoast protectionclimate

Climate action has two halves. Mitigation reduces greenhouse gases (mangroves store carbon). Adaptation helps people cope with the changes already under way, and here mangroves are especially valuable.

How they protect

  • Dense roots and stems slow waves; studies report large wave-height reductions across a few hundred metres of forest.
  • They trap sediment, helping the shore build up.
  • Their roots hold soil, reducing erosion.
  • They reduce flooding during storm surges and tsunamis, though no forest can stop a very large surge.

Cost. Protecting or restoring mangroves is often cheaper than building and maintaining sea walls, and it adds fisheries and carbon as co-benefits.

In Atlas. The best proxy for protection is continuous, wide, dense mangrove close to settlement. Use the fragmentation metrics (effective mesh size) and the village-distance layer for Lamu to see where intact mangrove stands between the sea and people.

Limits. Protection depends on forest width, density, tide and storm strength, which Atlas does not model.

Related reading

What mangroves do for people (ecosystem services)

Mangroves protect shorelines, feed fisheries, supply wood and honey, filter water and store carbon.

Sea-level rise and the "coastal squeeze"

Mangroves can keep up with moderate sea-level rise if they get sediment and room to move inland.

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