At the Africa–France summit in Nairobi, leaders pitched billion-Euro partnerships to drive growth and climate resilience while on Kenya’s coast, mangrove restoration is already delivering both at the grassroots level.

Mangrove Restoration Gains Ground in Mombasa

A recent biodiversity survey conducted in a mangrove forest has revealed a remarkable diversity of wildlife inhabiting these vital yet threatened habitats. The study, carried out in the Peam Krasop sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar reserve in Cambodia, identified hundreds of species ranging from bats and birds to fish and insects.

Residents recorded during the survey included hairy-nosed otters, smooth-coated otters, large-spotted civets, long-tailed macaques, fishing cats, and various bat species. The abundance of wildlife observed has astonished biologists.

Stefanie Rog, the leader of the survey team, told the Guardian, "We discovered 700 distinct species in these mangrove forests, but we believe we have barely begun to explore the biodiversity." This statement was made in conjunction with the team's report, which was published on Sunday (April 14).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/not-a-meteorite-but-indias-deccan-traps-led-to-extinction-of-dinosaurs-from-earth-study-664402">Also read |&nbsp;Not a meteorite, but India's Deccan Traps may have led to extinction of dinosaurs from Earth: Study</a>

<h2>Why are mangrove forests essential?</h2>

Mangrove forests are narrow strips of dense trees found along tropical and subtropical coastlines. They're vital because these trees can grow in salty water, unlike most plants. Sadly, about 40 per cent&nbsp;of mangroves have been lost due to cutting them down for resorts or farms.

However, they're crucial for protecting coasts, providing homes for many animals, and supporting fishing. The study found that mangroves are breeding grounds for fish like barracudas and groupers, important for both locals and commercial fishing. They also shield against tsunamis and store carbon efficiently, helping fight climate change.

In the Cambodian mangroves, one interesting species found is the fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus. It's a bit larger than a regular house cat, with a sturdy body and short legs.

Unlike most cats, it enjoys swimming. Its front paws are partly webbed, and it has claws that help it catch fish and rats, its main prey. It hunts by hiding among the mangrove roots and stalking its targets.

In some older parts of the mangrove forest, camera traps captured photos of the hairy-nosed otter, a very rare animal. The Lutra sumatrana uses hairs around its nose to find its prey, which includes crustaceans, mollusks, and other small creatures.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/once-nearly-extinct-worlds-rarest-insect-now-thrives-in-thousands-in-us-679894">Also read |&nbsp;Once nearly extinct, world’s ‘rarest insect’ now thrives in thousands in US</a>

The hairy-nosed otter, the rarest otter in Asia, is on the brink of extinction.

The study, backed by the Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise, found 74 fish species and 150 bird species in the mangrove waters. Among the birds, 15 are considered near-threatened or endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

A recent biodiversity survey conducted in a mangrove forest has revealed a remarkable diversity of wildlife inhabiting these vital yet threatened habitats. The study, carried out in the Peam Krasop sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar reserve in Cambodia, identified hundreds of species ranging from bats and birds to fish and insects.

A recent biodiversity survey conducted in a mangrove forest has revealed a remarkable diversity of wildlife inhabiting these vital yet threatened habitats. The study, carried out in the Peam Krasop sanctuary and the adjacent Koh Kapik Ramsar reserve in Cambodia, identified hundreds of species ranging from bats and birds to fish and insects. Residents recorded during the survey included hairy-nosed otters, smooth-coated otters, large-spotted civets, long-tailed macaques, fishing cats, and various bat species. The abundance of wildlife observed has astonished biologists. Stefanie Rog, the leader of the survey team, told the Guardian, "We discovered 700 distinct species in these mangrove forests, but we believe we have barely begun to explore the biodiversity." This statement was made in conjunction with the team's report, which was published on Sunday (April 14). Also read | Not a meteorite, but India's Deccan Traps may have led to extinction of dinosaurs from Earth: Study Why are mangrove forests essential? Mangrove forests are narrow strips of dense trees found along tropical and subtropical coastlines. They're vital because these trees can grow in salty water, unlike most plants. Sadly, about 40 per cent of mangroves have been lost due to cutting them down for resorts or farms. However, they're crucial for protecting coasts, providing homes for many animals, and supporting fishing. The study found that mangroves are breeding grounds for fish like barracudas and groupers, important for both locals and commercial fishing. They also shield against tsunamis and store carbon efficiently, helping fight climate change. In the Cambodian mangroves, one interesting species found is the fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus. It's a bit larger than a regular house cat, with a sturdy body and short legs. Unlike most cats, it enjoys swimming. Its front paws are partly webbed, and it has claws that help it catch fish and rats, its main prey. It hunts by hiding among the mangrove roots and stalking its targets. In some older parts of the mangrove forest, camera traps captured photos of the hairy-nosed otter, a very rare animal. The Lutra sumatrana uses hairs around its nose to find its prey, which includes crustaceans, mollusks, and other small creatures. Also read | Once nearly extinct, world’s ‘rarest insect’ now thrives in thousands in US The hairy-nosed otter, the rarest otter in Asia, is on the brink of extinction. The study, backed by the Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise, found 74 fish species and 150 bird species in the mangrove waters. Among the birds, 15 are considered near-threatened or endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. (With inputs from agencies)

‘We found 700 species’: Incredible variety of wildlife found in Cambodian mangroves

On the receding shorelines of Vypin island. A fisherman from southern India has planted an entire mangrove forest, all by himself.

India's Mangrove man fights to save sinking shores | WION Climate Tracker

As the world looks at containing the rise in temperature, Mangrove trees have emerged as a life-saver. Their roots can absorb twice the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide as compared to the trees found in the Amazon but in the last few years, human activities have brought devastation to the Mangrove ecosystem, one such example in Sundarbans.

India: 10,000 Mangrove saplings to be planted in Sundarbans, all women group lead drive

Elieser Rodriguez emerges blackened from the thick smoke of burning pyres slowly transforming the limbs of mangroves into charcoal -- a livelihood much maligned by environmental and climate campaigners in Panama.&nbsp;

He says he has no other choice for a living.&nbsp;

"This is the daily survival of my family, of my children, of my wife," Rodriguez told AFP in El Espave, a town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Panama City with a mangrove forest as its backyard.

"I am 30 years old and have been working at this from 16, 15. It does not bring me wealth... this is a means of survival."

About 200 families in El Espave, on the banks of the Bahia de Chame, a large bay, work in the production of mangrove charcoal, which they sell to pizzerias and restaurants.

Panama, according to its environment ministry, boasts more than 437,000 acres (177,000 hectares) of mangrove, of which 35 percent, including around Chame bay, is protected.

Harvesting the mangroves is prohibited, but for the residents of El Espave, making coal from the tree is an ancient tradition, a way of life, and their only source of income.

Rodriguez's grandfather and great-grandfather did the same work in the days before the electric saws and boat engines used today.

"If they close this place, what are we going to do? How are we going to live? How are we going to eat?" asked Dario Hidalgo, 42, whose job is to build the coal-making "ovens."

"And the children who are growing up, what will become of them? What will they do? I think that if there is nothing they will turn to crime, to easy money," he told AFP.

Carbon sinks

The community and the government are keen to find a solution to this age-old conflict between conservation and survival.

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), mangroves protect coastlines from erosion and extreme weather events, improve water quality by filtering, and serve as nurseries for many marine creatures.

They also help fight climate change -- sequestering as much as 22.8 million tons of carbon each year in their leaves, trunks, roots and the soil.

They can contain more carbon per square meter than tropical rainforests, according to UNEP.&nbsp;

Panama's mangroves, according to the environment ministry, hold some 52 million tons.

But if degraded or lost, mangroves become sources of carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming -- which threatens their survival in turn, particularly through sea level rise.

At El Espave, the sea enters the bay gently, forming narrow passageways to the coast.&nbsp;

Via these water routes, Rodriguez and his colleagues go out by boat every morning, travelling some 15 minutes to areas where the mangrove trunks grow thick. They fell them with machetes and electric saws.

One of the men, Israel Gonzalez, 46, says the thinner plants are not touched, to preserve the ecosystem.

"When we cut here, we always leave two, three or four trees for the seed to fall and continue to reproduce," he explained.

The community was also working on building a mangrove nursery, he said, to plant new seedlings and expand the forest they depend on so much.&nbsp;

According to UNEP, over a quarter of the world's original mangrove cover has already disappeared.

Environment ministry official Jose Julio Casas said authorities were examining ways to work with the community "so that they can use the resource in a responsible way."

Coal or jobs

Currently engaged in an activity that is technically illegal, they "have to comply with a series of requirements because if they are going to use it, they themselves must help in the process of protecting and conserving the ecosystem," Casas told AFP.

At El Espave, charcoal production happens near the port, in an area dotted with pyramid-shaped pyres smoldering like small volcanos.

"First you make the oven, then you stack the (mangrove) wood, then grass (to cover the wood), and then you put the sand" on top, Lesbia Batista 48, explained.

Each "oven" smolders for about four days before being doused with water. Once cooled down, the soil is removed to reveal the coal underneath.

Each pyre yields about 120 bags of coal that can collectively be sold for about $500 -- an estimated $150 profit per "oven."

Besides its contribution to health-threatening air-pollution, coal burning is also one of the major sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.

"We are waiting for them (the government) to tell us how we can continue to produce charcoal, or that they bring us job proposals," Batista.

"We do not want to stop working, nor that they take this away from us."

Elieser Rodriguez emerges blackened from the thick smoke of burning pyres slowly transforming the limbs of mangroves into charcoal -- a livelihood much maligned by environmental and climate campaigners in Panama.

Elieser Rodriguez emerges blackened from the thick smoke of burning pyres slowly transforming the limbs of mangroves into charcoal -- a livelihood much maligned by environmental and climate campaigners in Panama. He says he has no other choice for a living. "This is the daily survival of my family, of my children, of my wife," Rodriguez told AFP in El Espave, a town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Panama City with a mangrove forest as its backyard. "I am 30 years old and have been working at this from 16, 15. It does not bring me wealth... this is a means of survival." About 200 families in El Espave, on the banks of the Bahia de Chame, a large bay, work in the production of mangrove charcoal, which they sell to pizzerias and restaurants. Panama, according to its environment ministry, boasts more than 437,000 acres (177,000 hectares) of mangrove, of which 35 percent, including around Chame bay, is protected. Harvesting the mangroves is prohibited, but for the residents of El Espave, making coal from the tree is an ancient tradition, a way of life, and their only source of income. Rodriguez's grandfather and great-grandfather did the same work in the days before the electric saws and boat engines used today. "If they close this place, what are we going to do? How are we going to live? How are we going to eat?" asked Dario Hidalgo, 42, whose job is to build the coal-making "ovens." "And the children who are growing up, what will become of them? What will they do? I think that if there is nothing they will turn to crime, to easy money," he told AFP. Carbon sinks The community and the government are keen to find a solution to this age-old conflict between conservation and survival. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), mangroves protect coastlines from erosion and extreme weather events, improve water quality by filtering, and serve as nurseries for many marine creatures. They also help fight climate change -- sequestering as much as 22.8 million tons of carbon each year in their leaves, trunks, roots and the soil. They can contain more carbon per square meter than tropical rainforests, according to UNEP. Panama's mangroves, according to the environment ministry, hold some 52 million tons. But if degraded or lost, mangroves become sources of carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming -- which threatens their survival in turn, particularly through sea level rise. At El Espave, the sea enters the bay gently, forming narrow passageways to the coast. Via these water routes, Rodriguez and his colleagues go out by boat every morning, travelling some 15 minutes to areas where the mangrove trunks grow thick. They fell them with machetes and electric saws. One of the men, Israel Gonzalez, 46, says the thinner plants are not touched, to preserve the ecosystem. "When we cut here, we always leave two, three or four trees for the seed to fall and continue to reproduce," he explained. The community was also working on building a mangrove nursery, he said, to plant new seedlings and expand the forest they depend on so much. According to UNEP, over a quarter of the world's original mangrove cover has already disappeared. Environment ministry official Jose Julio Casas said authorities were examining ways to work with the community "so that they can use the resource in a responsible way." Coal or jobs Currently engaged in an activity that is technically illegal, they "have to comply with a series of requirements because if they are going to use it, they themselves must help in the process of protecting and conserving the ecosystem," Casas told AFP. At El Espave, charcoal production happens near the port, in an area dotted with pyramid-shaped pyres smoldering like small volcanos. "First you make the oven, then you stack the (mangrove) wood, then grass (to cover the wood), and then you put the sand" on top, Lesbia Batista 48, explained. Each "oven" smolders for about four days before being doused with water. Once cooled down, the soil is removed to reveal the coal underneath. Each pyre yields about 120 bags of coal that can collectively be sold for about $500 -- an estimated $150 profit per "oven." Besides its contribution to health-threatening air-pollution, coal burning is also one of the major sources of planet-warming greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere. "We are waiting for them (the government) to tell us how we can continue to produce charcoal, or that they bring us job proposals," Batista. "We do not want to stop working, nor that they take this away from us."

Planet vs people as Panama's mangroves are turned into coal

In Bahasa Indonesia, environmental activist Samsudin visits villages to teach children about coastal erosion and how mangrove trees can help preserve the environment. He uses puppets to illustrate his conservation fairy tales and his young audience participates in the stories.

Environmentalist fights Indonesia's coastal erosion with fairy tales, puppet shows and mangrove saplings

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