Mangrove Conservation
Mangrove forests were once generally dismissed as swampy wastelands. However, we have now come to value them as remarkably diverse and providing important ecosystems. Mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs work as a single system that keep coastal zones healthy.
Our Goal
Azraq’s Magic Mangrove initiative aims to increase awareness on the importance of mangroves and the threats they face, through presentations and Mangrove tree plantings across the Emirates.
adopt a mangrove
Make an impact on improving our coastal defense through planting a mangrove as a company, school, or an individual.
8 benefits of mangroves
Mangrove forests cover thousands of hectares along the UAE coastline and form an important and integral part of the coastal eco system in this country.
1. COASTAL DEFENSE
Mangroves are the first line of defense for coastal communities. They provide natural barriers and stabilize shorelines, preventing erosion and protecting coastal communities from increased storm surge, flooding, and hurricanes.
6. ECOTOURISM & DEVELOPMENT
healthy mangrove forests can provide sustainable revenue-generating initiatives including ecotourism and other recreational activities. Of course, it is important to maintain a balance between visitor numbers and protecting the forests’ delicate ecosystem.
Ecotourism could provide the perfect motivation to protect mangroves, instead of clearing them for mass tourism developments.
5. RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Mangroves can be harvested for durable, water-resistance wood used in housing, boats and furniture. The wood of the black mangrove has been used in the production of charcoal. The red mangrove can be used for fuel wood
Tannins and other dyes can be extracted from mangrove bark, which can be used in the leather industry. The leaves from mangroves have been used in tea, medicine, livestock feed and as a substitute for tobacco. Also, beekeepers have been known to set up their hives close to mangroves to utilise the nectar in honey production.
7. PROVIDE CARBON STORAGE
Mangroves sequester carbon at a rate two to four times greater than mature tropical forests and store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests like the Amazon rainforest. This means that conserving and restoring mangroves is essential to fighting climate change, the warming of the global climate fueled by increased carbon emissions, that is already having disastrous effects on communities worldwide.
2. VALUABLE NURSERY AREAS
Mangroves are nursery areas for crustaceans, mollusks and fish. These habitats provide a rich source food while also offering refuge from larger predators. Without mangroves, the fishing industries globally would suffer a dramatic decline.
4. BOOST LOCAL ECONOMIES
Mangroves are essential to maintaining water quality. With their dense network of roots and surrounding vegetation, they filter and trap sediments, heavy metals, and other pollutants.
The ability to retain sediments flowing from upstream prevents contamination of downstream waterways and protects sensitive habitat like coral reefs and seagrass beds below.
3. SUPPORT A RANGE OF SPECIES
Threatened or endangered species such as sea turtles and a variety of birds utilise mangrove systems during some portion of their life spans, feeding and nesting within the mangroves.
The tonnes of leaves that fall from each acre of mangrove forest every year are the basis of an incredibly productive food web. As the leaves decay, they provide nutrients for invertebrates and algae. These in turn feed many small organisms, such as birds, sponges, worms, anemones, jellyfish, shrimp, and young fishes.
8. PROTECT ECOSYSTEMS
Mangroves acts as a natural windbreak, protecting against tidal surges and purifying the surrounding water.
Mangroves protect both the saltwater and the freshwater ecosystems they straddle. The mangroves' complex root systems filter nitrates and phosphates that rivers and streams carry to the sea. They also keep seawater from encroaching on inland waterways.
come and join us mangrove planting today!
We would love to hear from you! If you have any questions regarding mangrove planting or would like to arrange a team building event - get in touch now.