Problem

Mangrove forests have withstood severe storms and changing tides for many millennia, but they are now being devastated by modern encroachments. Today, mangroves are among the most threatened habitats in the world-- disappearing at an accelerating rate, with little public notice. Industrial shrimp farming along the tropical coasts has been the main contributor to mangrove forest loss, with tourism, oil exploitation, pollution and urbanization also affecting mangroves.

The Gift

Help MAP Conserve and/or Restore One-half Acre of Mangrove Forest Today there is a growing urgency to recognize the importance of conserving and restoring protective mangrove greenbelts to lessen the dangers from future natural catastrophes, because as sea level rises, so will the frequency and intensity of hurricanes and cyclones. Mangroves can buffer against the fury of such destructive storms, protecting those settlements located behind a healthy mangrove fringe. Restoring the vast areas of degraded and cleared mangrove wetlands will also serve as a partial solution to global climate change, because mangroves act as important carbon sinks sequestering and storing massive amounts of carbon. Because nearly half of humankind now lives in cities and settlements located along the coasts, global warming and consequent sea level rise may cause mass evacuations of millions of coastal residents within the next 50 years. Mangroves can act as a first line of defense against these menacing phenonema.