Beneath the tides and behind timbers: Marvels of Philippine mangroves

Mangroves provide a wide variety of services, not just to the environment, but also to people. Their submerged roots serve as a haven for a plethora of marine animals. Likewise, their trunks, leaves and branches provide a home for tree-dwelling mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Furthermore, the closely knit roots of mangroves prevent coastal soil erosion just as their branches and leaves form a natural wind-barrier that protects coastal communities from strong gusts of winds, especially during storms.

Apart from their capacity as natural barriers and biodiversity hubs, the most impeccable feature of mangroves is their ability to capture and store carbon. Like most plants, mangroves capture carbon from the atmosphere. What makes them special, however, is the fact that the sediments where they are usually located also have the capacity to act as carbon sinks. This makes mangroves effective in carbon sequestration, making them highly valuable assets in climate change mitigation.

In the Philippines, mangroves are recognized as highly protected nature-based solutions to climate change. This prompted the development of several mechanisms aimed at the protection, preservation and rehabilitation of Philippine mangrove systems, which includes legislations and key documents.

Initial statistics estimate that the Philippines had 450,000 hectares of mangrove forests in 1920. By 1990, this decreased to 317,500 hectares and in most recent statistics it decreased further to 311,400 hectares.