Artigenda
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
When: annually,July 26.
About this day
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem (in English: International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem) takes place annually on July 26. The day was established by UNESCO to draw attention to mangrove forests worldwide.
UNESCO calls for care to be taken with these ecosystems on the boundary between land and sea. They provide a place for animals and humans. They also provide natural protection for artificial areas and are good for biodiversity. Unfortunately, these areas are under threat. With that, life in these areas is also threatened.
Main threat
The main threat to mangrove forests is humans. Simple destruction and global warming are putting increasing pressure on these ecosystems.
A mangrove is a tree or shrub whose roots extend high above the ground or water. This phenomenon is visible in coastal and river deltas of tropical regions. The name is also an indication of the type of area. About 20 per cent of the mangrove ecosystem is a protected area. Even in those areas, there is no certainty for the future. Yet people depend on them. Not only as natural coastal protection. The areas also contain natural resources that people use. Sometimes precisely on too large a scale, think logging. In other cases, it is overfishing that causes problems.
Uniek
What makes mangroves so unique: they belong to carbon-rich forests because they can store carbon both underground and above ground. This makes the forests capable of more than ‘ordinary’ tropical forests. Up to four times more carbon can be stored. That is not the only thing. The mangroves allow the natural recovery of water to take place. Provided there is not too much pollution.
Another name for this day is World Mangrove Day. The first time that awareness was raised using this day was in 2015.
