Protect Mangroves For They Protect Us
The Issue
Mangrove forests are an ecosystem vital to the survival of both humans and marine species. They provide a habitat for thousands of fish and crustaceans and support many coastal communities around the world. And just like our tropical rainforests and coral reefs, mangroves forests help us to survive in more ways than many of us realize.
Mangrove forests are one of the most severely threatened and undervalued ecosystems on Earth. They provide a wide variety of ecosystem services currently valued globally at US$1.6 billion. Mangrove services include coastal protection, erosion control, sediment stabilization, flood regulation, nutrient supply and regeneration, waste treatment, and wildlife habitats. For many coastal communities, mangrove ecosystems provide livelihoods and essential sources of protein. Compelling evidence suggests that mangroves play an important role in climate stabilization, possessing carbon storage and sequestration potential considered to be greater than that of tropical forests.
The Philippines harbor 39 species of true mangroves; that is almost 50% of the total mangrove species in the world, belonging to the following genera: Acanthus, Camptostemon, Lumnitzera, Excoecaria, Pemphis, Xylocarpus, Aegiceras, Osbornia, Nypa, Aegialitis, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Kandelia, Rhizophora, Scyphiphora, and Sonneratia.
Mangroves are being cleared at an alarming rate and there are numerous threats to these forests, including; land development, pollution, deforestation for fuel, and climate change. One of the major reasons for the loss of mangroves has been to establish fishponds for aquaculture. Also, they wipe out mangrove forests to build different kinds of infrastructures. The last IUCN assessment highlighted that more than 1 in 6 mangrove species are currently under threat of extinction.
In the Philippines, most mangrove forests were lost due to the creation of fishponds for commercial fish and shrimp farming. Often these fishponds are then left abandoned and by law, this should mean they are returned to the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources for reversion.
This is largely a result of clearing, to make room for agricultural land, human settlements, infrastructure, palm oil production, and tourist developments. The wood from mangrove forests is also highly sought after for firewood, construction and high demand has resulted in serious overharvesting.
Overfishing is also a large problem, which is causing an ecological imbalance within the food chain. Meanwhile, pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and various other man-made chemicals which run off farmland and into the rivers, is having even more disastrous impacts for the inhabiting wildlife.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
1. Plant Mangroves!
2. Do not support the destroying of Mangroves to build infrastructures!
3. USE YOUR VOICE.
4. Share this petition to give awareness!
The Issue
Mangrove forests are an ecosystem vital to the survival of both humans and marine species. They provide a habitat for thousands of fish and crustaceans and support many coastal communities around the world. And just like our tropical rainforests and coral reefs, mangroves forests help us to survive in more ways than many of us realize.
Mangrove forests are one of the most severely threatened and undervalued ecosystems on Earth. They provide a wide variety of ecosystem services currently valued globally at US$1.6 billion. Mangrove services include coastal protection, erosion control, sediment stabilization, flood regulation, nutrient supply and regeneration, waste treatment, and wildlife habitats. For many coastal communities, mangrove ecosystems provide livelihoods and essential sources of protein. Compelling evidence suggests that mangroves play an important role in climate stabilization, possessing carbon storage and sequestration potential considered to be greater than that of tropical forests.
The Philippines harbor 39 species of true mangroves; that is almost 50% of the total mangrove species in the world, belonging to the following genera: Acanthus, Camptostemon, Lumnitzera, Excoecaria, Pemphis, Xylocarpus, Aegiceras, Osbornia, Nypa, Aegialitis, Bruguiera, Ceriops, Kandelia, Rhizophora, Scyphiphora, and Sonneratia.
Mangroves are being cleared at an alarming rate and there are numerous threats to these forests, including; land development, pollution, deforestation for fuel, and climate change. One of the major reasons for the loss of mangroves has been to establish fishponds for aquaculture. Also, they wipe out mangrove forests to build different kinds of infrastructures. The last IUCN assessment highlighted that more than 1 in 6 mangrove species are currently under threat of extinction.
In the Philippines, most mangrove forests were lost due to the creation of fishponds for commercial fish and shrimp farming. Often these fishponds are then left abandoned and by law, this should mean they are returned to the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources for reversion.
This is largely a result of clearing, to make room for agricultural land, human settlements, infrastructure, palm oil production, and tourist developments. The wood from mangrove forests is also highly sought after for firewood, construction and high demand has resulted in serious overharvesting.
Overfishing is also a large problem, which is causing an ecological imbalance within the food chain. Meanwhile, pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, and various other man-made chemicals which run off farmland and into the rivers, is having even more disastrous impacts for the inhabiting wildlife.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?
1. Plant Mangroves!
2. Do not support the destroying of Mangroves to build infrastructures!
3. USE YOUR VOICE.
4. Share this petition to give awareness!
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on November 23, 2020