Sustainable mangrove management an essential response to climate change

The sustainable management of mangroves is crucial for global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and requires much more attention from policymakers, according to ITTO’s Executive Director, Gerhard Dieterle, who made the remarks at a side-event during the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP23), now underway in Bonn, Germany. Mangroves store large amounts of carbon, protect and increase the resilience of coastlines, and are sources of income for millions of coastal-dwelling people.

Dr Dieterle called for sound land-use planning in coastal regions, integrated mangrove management for multiple benefits, and innovative financial mechanisms to enable communities to improve their livelihoods, protect coastlines and arrest mangrove loss and degradation, thereby helping achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, “Combating climate change”, SDG 14, “Life below water”, and other SDGs.