The wonderful world wide mangrove

BY EAMONN FITZGERALD ON AUGUST 4, 2011 IN BU TINAH ISLAND, SUNDARBANS

Is there anything that the humble mangrove cannot do? Along with being an important source of food and fuel, mangrove forests provide wood for building houses and ships because of its firmness and resistance to rot. Mangrove forests also make a significant contribution to the preservation of the environment by preventing coastline erosion caused by waves and currents.

But there’s more. Mangrove forests absorb carbon dioxide and keep it locked away in the soil, and they offer a natural habitat for crabs, shrimps and waterbirds.

From Africa to Asia to Oceania to the Americas to the Middle East, you’ll find mangroves. And two of the 28 Official Finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature place considerable emphasis on their mangrove forests: The Sundarbans and Bu Tinah Island.

The Mangrove Action Project — a non-governmental organization run by a global network with the goal of saving mangroves — works to raise awareness of the trees and their benefits. Part of its mission is to point out that the mangrove is increasingly threatened by coastal development.

Mindful of the role of the mangrove, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is promoting the tree as a buffer against extreme weather events and as a nursery to the emirate’s fish stocks. Its most recent mangrove project took place in February this year, when it planted 800,000 trees. Thabit Al Abdessalaam, Director of Biodiversity Management Sector at EAD, said: “The mangrove plays an integral role in the marine ecosystem, providing a habitat for aquatic and terrestrial fauna and flora, as well as offsetting carbon emissions which help reduce the effects of climate change. It is essential that each one of us assume responsibility for the conservation of this species, as it is a treasured part of our natural heritage.”