2025 - 2026

Over the past 40 years, the world has lost more than 20% of its mangroves, a quiet piece of the climate crisis unfolding. Along the edges of warm tropical coastlines, anchored in mudflats or the mouths of rivers grows one of the planet’s most extraordinary ecosystems: the mangrove forest. These trees thrive where few other plants survive, in salty and poor oxygenated environments, protecting this planet and countless species. Their destruction may seem distant especially as they grow in very few regions but their impact means much more. 

Why Mangroves Matter

Mangroves protect both people and nature which sometimes goes unnoticed. Their intricate root systems act as natural infrastructure protecting coastal communities from storms, floods and erosion. Beneath the surface, mangrove roots also provide nursery grounds for numerous species of fish and other marine life. In fact, more than 1500 species from birds to reptiles depend on mangrove ecosystems. In reality, these coastal communities depend on the ecosystems that mangroves provide for these animals as many peoples livelihoods come from fisheries which would not be possible without them. 

Their value does not end there, as mangroves clean the water by trapping pollutants and sediments. However, mangroves biggest impact is that they are among the most effective carbon sinks on Earth, storing carbon not only in their trunks and branches but deep in the soils beneath them. Though they make up less than 1% of tropical forests, they can hold up to 10 times more carbon than other forest types. By locking away vast amounts of carbon, mangroves reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and help slow global warming.

The Destruction of Mangrove Forests

The destruction of mangrove forests has an immense impact on the environment. When they are cleared for shrimp farms, coastal development, or logging, centuries of stored carbon are released back into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. 

Biodiversity suffers as well. According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 15% of all species linked to mangroves are now threatened with extinction. Nearly half of the mammals that rely on them are at risk. Also, the short term profits that people might gain from destroying these forests ignores the long term detriments like losing protection from storms, declining fish populations and poorer water quality. 

Kenya: A Case Study in Conservation 

Kenya’s coast tells a different story: one of renewal and innovation. About 65% of Kenya’s mangroves are found in Lamu county, where they protect the local communities.  This year the new HS Swahili Culture trip visited the Mikiko Pamoja Project. Mikiko Pamoja is a global example of community driven conservation. It is the first project in the world to sell carbon credits from restoring mangroves. The money earned funds local schools, clean water and health initiatives, which is reinvesting into the communities that support the project. 

Since 2022 ISK has collaborated with LEAF, a community run project in Kilifi, as part of our offsetting and sustainability initiative to help ISK meet its commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. Our HS Coastal Conservation trip visits the community and helps plant and clean mangroves. 

These projects show that protecting mangroves is not only about saving trees. It is about involving these communities and showing how nature and people are connected.