There are three ways of thinking about a forest: it can be seen as a breathtaking creation of nature, whose very presence soothes the soul and which deserves to exist simply for its beauty; or it can be "interpreted" in economic terms, since forests provide food, medicines and raw materials to millions of people; or, finally, a forest can be regarded as a mere accessory — something that can be dispensed with in the name of other interests.

The value of forests

If the first motivation may seem utopian and the third still commands many supporters, it is the second that deserves emphasis: highlighting the economic value of forests. That is precisely what Unep, the United Nations Environment Programme, has done. In its latest report, Unep underlined that mangrove forests are disappearing at a rate three to five times faster than terrestrial forests, and that their destruction costs the world up to 42 billion dollars every year.

Why mangroves matter

Mangroves grow in tropical countries along the shores of lagoons, on beaches and along the estuaries of major rivers, and are characterised by their large, spreading aerial roots. Safeguarding these plants is essential, both for the environment and for the economy: they play a vital role in protecting biodiversity, in carbon storage, in food security and in the livelihoods of some of the world's most marginalised communities.

Fewer mangroves, more pollution

According to the Unep report, presented at the climate conference held in Peru last December, we are not doing enough to protect this heritage. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly eight hundred square kilometres of mangrove forest in central Africa were destroyed, releasing more than one hundred million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere and generating enormous expenditure on infrastructure maintenance and repairs.

The disappearance of mangrove forests

The damage is not only economic: mangroves provide numerous ecosystem services to coastal communities, and also mitigate the force of tropical storms and tsunamis. "The growing destruction and degradation of mangroves, driven by conversion to aquaculture and agricultural land, coastal development and pollution, is occurring at an alarming rate — more than a quarter of the earth's mangrove cover has already been lost," said Achim Steiner, executive director of Unep.

Mangroves deserve protection

Yet so far mangroves have not been included in REDD, the "Reducing Emission From Deforestation and Forest Degradation" — an incentive mechanism aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation. According to Steiner, this represents a major missed opportunity for the developed world to address the climate crisis, and it may be the developing countries that end up bearing the worst consequences.