At first glance, mangroves may appear to be just a simple forest of trees on the coastline. To some, they may even seem daunting. But did you know, mangroves play a critical role in protecting island nations and coastal communities from some of the most devastating effects of climate change?
Mangroves are also being heavily impacted by climate change.
Caribbean mangroves have declined by approximately 24% over the last quarter-century, largely as a result of different forms of coastal development, pollution and human exploitation. A recent compilation of global research suggests that more than 25% of the world’s original mangrove cover is gone.
As a matter of fact, one of the most pervasive of all climate-related threats to mangroves is sea level rise. A growing number of studies show greater understanding of the impacts of increased quantity and intensity of hurricanes on mangroves. This greatly hampers their ability to recover from extreme weather events, which then weakens the entire ecosystem of life that depends on healthy mangroves for survival.
Together with Julian Reingold, climate journalist from Argentina and former Climate Tracker Fellow, we’re excited to launch for you, an essential guidebook to equip you with some vital information when approaching mangrove reporting, in light of climate change.
In this guidebook, we bring together the key points to understand mangroves and effectively find and report stories both on-the-ground and from abroad.
While you’re at it, don’t miss out on our Instagram Live, with Julian and Gonzalo (Research Fellow at the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang University). You will learn all about mangroves and the importance of mainstreaming sustainable development.
You might also be interested in “ Your Hurricane and Cyclone Reporting Handbook.”