2016, Pages 125–140
8 – The Importance of Mangrove Ecosystems for Nature Protection and Food Productivity: Actions of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme
The
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) was launched in 1971 with the aim
of establishing a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships
between people and their environments. Biosphere reserves are areas
comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems, nominated by
national governments and recognized by the MAB Programme. They promote
solutions to the challenge of integrating the conservation of
biodiversity and biological resources with their sustainable use.
Seventy-four
of the 631 biosphere reserves that currently form part of the World
Network of Biosphere Reserves include mangrove ecosystems, representing
11.73% out of the total network.
Although mangrove
ecosystems are globally rare and cover only around 152,000 km², these
systems have a very high economic and ecological value, offering a large
range of ecosystem services and goods, such as food, carbon storage and
sinks, fuelwood, and a source of building material.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 1980 and 2005 some 35,600 km2
of mangrove forest were lost, and over one-quarter of this cover has
disappeared due to human actions. The loss of the world’s mangrove cover
is due mainly to the direct conversion of mangrove areas to other uses,
including aquaculture, agriculture, and urban and industrial uses.
In
this context the MAB Programme has established several actions to
contribute to the protection and sustainable use of mangroves. In
cooperation with several partner organizations, the programme has
produced the World Atlas of Mangroves, providing a worldwide
overview of the status and distribution of mangroves ecosystems. MAB and
its partners have also prepared the policy brief “Securing the Future
of Mangroves,” which targets decision-makers and the broad public with a
view to increasing awareness of mangroves and driving their effective
protection and management at the policy level.
The MAB
Programme has also supported different projects in biosphere reserves
around the world, which include mangrove forest, to ensure the effective
management of these ecosystems.
Keywords
- Biosphere reserve;
- Man and the Biosphere Programme;
- mangrove ecosystem;
- World Atlas of Mangroves
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
