Mangrove forests are often cited as one of the most important factors in maintaining a healthy environment; they protect coastlines from erosion, purify water, support rich wildlife, provide protection against tsunamis, and also sequester enormous amounts of carbon dioxide. But like so much else in nature, these forests have long been devastated and overexploited.
Now, however, the BBC reports that the trend appears to have reversed following determined efforts worldwide, as well as stricter regulations. Researchers say that mangrove forests sequester up to five times as much carbon dioxide as ordinary terrestrial forests, and they recover very quickly as long as the destruction stops.
Awareness has also been a contributing factor, as people in mangrove-rich countries like Indonesia and Myanmar have realised just how beneficial these forests actually are. As a result, over the past decade, the forests have not only stabilised, but have even begun to expand again.