Mangrove Restoration in Southeast Asia: A Climate Defence

Mangroves in Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia. Credit: Arie Rachmat, Pexel.

For decades, Southeast Asia was the global epicenter of mangrove destruction. However, today, the region is showing that nature can recover when conservation, policy, and restoration work together.

A new study analysing 40 years of satellite data found that Southeast Asia has shifted from being responsible for nearly 60% of global mangrove losses between the 1980s and 2010, to contributing around 43% of global mangrove gains between 2010 and 2023. Indonesia and Myanmar have led this recovery through stronger protections, restoration efforts, and the natural ability of mangroves to regenerate.

As climate change increases the risks of coastal flooding, stronger storms, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss, restoring mangroves offers one of the most effective nature-based solutions available.

What is Happening?

• Abandoned aquaculture ponds have provided opportunities for natural mangrove regeneration.
• Southeast Asia has transitioned from net mangrove loss to net mangrove gain since 2010. 
• The region contributed approximately 43% of global mangrove expansion between 2010 and 2023. 
• Indonesia has reduced mangrove deforestation after decades of losses from aquaculture and agricultural expansion. 
• Myanmar has increased mangrove cover by around 10% since 2010.  
• Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, awareness of mangroves as natural coastal defences increased, driving investment in restoration and protection.

What Concrete Actions Support the Transition?

• Stronger legal protections, expanded protected areas, and improved monitoring helped reduce mangrove loss.
• Scientists emphasise that protecting existing mature mangroves remains the most effective conservation strategy, as restored forests take decades to reach full ecological function.
• Adoption of mangrove restoration programmes, as implemented in Indonesia and Myanmar, Including rehabilitation of degraded coastal areas and community-based conservation efforts.

Why This Matters for Climate Action

Mangroves store three to five times more carbon per hectare than most tropical forests, helping remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while locking it away for centuries in waterlogged soils.

Moreover, they also act as natural coastal barriers, reducing storm surges, wave energy, coastal erosion, and flooding risks that are increasing as climate change drives stronger tropical cyclones and rising sea levels.

Lastly, mangrove ecosystems provide vital nursery habitats for fish and support the livelihoods and food security of millions of coastal communities across Southeast Asia.

Their recovery demonstrates that large-scale ecosystem restoration is possible when conservation policies are combined with natural ecosystem resilience.

Potential Benefits of Restoring Mangroves

Climate and Environmental Benefits:

• Increases long-term carbon storage, which helps to slow down climate change.
• Reduces coastal erosion and protects shorelines from stronger storms and sea-level rise. 
• Restores habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife, improving biodiversity. 
• Demonstrates that nature-based solutions can complement engineered climate adaptation measures. 

Community and Economic Benefits:

• Strengthens coastal resilience for communities vulnerable to flooding and cyclones.
• Supports fisheries that millions of people rely on for food and income.
• Creates opportunities for restore employment and sustainable ecotourism.
• Reduces the recovery costs for future disasters by providing natural coastal protection.

Actions for Citizens and Policymakers

What YOU Can Do:

• Support mangrove conservation and restoration initiatives in your region (E.g. Restoration Project in Cambodia).  
• Choose sustainably sourced seafood to reduce pressure on coastal ecosystems. 
• Participate in community coastal restoration programmes where available. 
• Raise awareness about the importance of mangroves in protecting communities from climate impacts. 
• Join the Mangroves for the Future (MFF) initiative and expand it to your town or region.

What Needs to Change Systemically:

• Governments should prioritise protecting existing mature mangrove forests before restoring degraded areas. 
• Strengthen enforcement against illegal coastal deforestation and unsustainable aquaculture expansion. 
• Integrate mangrove restoration into national climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction strategies.
• Expand investment in nature-based solutions that protect both biodiversity and vulnerable coastal populations. 
• Monitor restoration projects over the long term to ensure young mangrove forests develop into healthy, carbon-rich ecosystems capable of delivering lasting climate benefits.

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Original source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec9773