An international centre for mangrove conservation has officially commenced operations in Shenzhen, China as awareness of these habitats’ importance continues to increase globally.
Mangroves are among the most productive marine ecosystems in tropical and subtropical coastal zones. They are critical for purifying seawater, mitigating storm surges, maintaining biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
On 6 November, representatives from 18 member countries of the International Mangrove Centre (including China, Cambodia and Madagascar) signed an agreement to mark the centre’s inauguration. This initiative stems from a promise made by President Xi Jinping two years ago, during the 14th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, to establish such a centre. Xi said: “Let us work together to write a new chapter in global wetland protection.”
The centre aims to promote mangrove conservation and sustainable use, while strengthening international cooperation. According to Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, it is designed to enable open, inclusive and collaborative international work on mangroves and coastal blue carbon ecosystems. Planned activities include hosting seminars on mangrove conservation and restoration to share China’s experiences and achievements in their protection. Participants from 15 countries are currently planning to join these efforts.
As part of the centre’s work, the Chinese Academy of Forestry has been drafting the Friends of Mangroves joint declaration, compiling mangrove restoration case studies and setting technical standards for restoration. The centre has also been cultivating resilient mangrove species and looking at seedling enhancement, restoration technologies and invasive species control.
Research indicates a huge proportion of China’s mangroves were destroyed between 1980 and the early 2000s. But restorative progress has been made through initiatives such as the Wetland Protection Law, a national plan that incorporates mangroves, and an additional action plan aimed specifically at mangrove protection and restoration. Since the early 2000s, China’s mangrove area has increased by 8,300 hectares to reach 30,300 hectares today.
Shenzhen city has long been involved in mangrove conservation. The Futian National Mangrove Nature Reserve was created there in 1988, establishing more than 15 hectares of new mangroves and restoring 103. Experts expect the launch of the Shenzhen centre to further enhance the city’s leadership in global mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, says Shenzhen Special Zone Daily.
The centre has already been working on inter-regional restoration beyond Shenzhen. For example, the municipal government of Enping, approximately 180km west of centre, has signed a Blue Carbon Product Cooperation Agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau. Shenzhen’s first project using carbon credits from mangrove conservation as an asset to borrow money has also been implemented.