Background Brief: Mangroves and Climate Change

This brief gives basic background information and overviews of some of the major players, institutions, initiatives, organizations and projects that are working with mangroves and “blue carbon” more generally. Blue carbon refers to carbon captured by organisms in coastal and marine ecosystems, including - but not limited to - salt marshes, mangroves and sea grass beds. Some studies estimate that blue carbon has an annual sequestration rate that is two to four times greater than tropical forests. Given this storage potential, it notes that work is underway by the international environmental community to incorporate mangroves into climate considerations, including in regards to REDD+. The brief lists groups working solely to restore and rebuild mangroves, those working in the blue carbon field and those dedicated to both. The last category includes the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, at the highest international level, as well as the SWAMP program, the Abidjan Convention and The Nature Conservancy. SWAMP is a collaborative project between the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State University with support from USAID.