The IUCN’s ‘latest red list of threatened species’ has bad news for a familiar Indian ecosystem: more than one in six mangrove species worldwide are in danger of extinction due to coastal development and factors like climate change and logging.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has been tracking the condition of the world’s natural resources for decades. The IUCN’s ‘latest red list of threatened species’ has bad news for a familiar Indian ecosystem: more than one in six mangrove species worldwide are in danger of extinction due to coastal development and factors like climate change and logging.
Sonneratia griffithii is a species found in India and Southeast Asia, where 80 percent of all mangrove area has been lost over the past 60 years. It has now been classified as ‘critically endangered’, the highest probability of extinction measured by the IUCN.
Mangrove forests grow where saltwater meets the shore in tropical and subtropical regions, serving as an interface between terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems. These forests provide at least $1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services. They are vital to coastal communities and protect them from tsunami waves, erosion and storms.
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