Southeast Asian mangroves shift from historic decline to net growth
A recent study shows that Southeast Asian mangroves, which had experienced significant loss for decades, have shifted to a net gain since 2010, contributing to a global recovery. The region, once responsible for most of the world’s mangrove loss between the 1980s and 2010, now accounts for nearly half of global mangrove gains since 2010, driven by conservation efforts and natural regeneration in countries like Indonesia and Myanmar. The findings highlight progress in protecting these vital ecosystems, though newly established mangroves still lack the resilience and carbon storage capacity of older forests.
Southeast Asian mangroves, once declining rapidly, have shifted to net growth since 2010, with Indonesia and Myanmar leading the recovery.
This reversal offers hope for global conservation efforts and highlights the potential of natural recovery and policy changes to restore critical ecosystems.
The story shows how human action and nature’s resilience can work together to heal damaged environments, offering a model for sustainable recovery.
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