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International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Did you know that mangrove forests saved an entire village from destruction in the devastating tsunami of 2004? Not surprising, since mangroves are nature’s solution to prevent coastal erosion, reduce atmospheric carbon and protect land against flooding.
And still, we have lost half of all mangrove forests since 1980, due to man-made environmental changes. Especially in Indonesia, which harbors the perfect conditions for mangroves to grow, but at the same time has the world’s highest rate of mangrove loss.
Conversion of mangrove forests into ponds
In the Indonesian province East Kalimantan, mangrove forests have been systematically converted into ponds. In 1990, the mangroves covered an area of 268,147 Ha. By 2000, this area was already reduced by 15%. And in 2019, it decreased once again by 5%, leaving 215,514 Ha. Thanks to the Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, we can easily identify the dynamics of mangroves and ponds from year to year.
Restoration of mangrove ecosystems
On the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, we focus on the importance of mangroves. By 2024, Indonesia aims to restore 630,000 hectares as part of its mitigation plan against climate change. Our satellite images help to map the areas of degraded mangrove, so we can start restoring them.
Track how Indonesia restores its mangrove ecosystems? With Copernicus you can!
This Sentinel-2 L2A image shows the mangrove forest vegetation on June 6th, 2023 in the Mahakam River area in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
