Avoiding mangrove destruction by avoiding carbon dioxide emissions

Abstract

Tens of millions of tons of CO2 emissions from mangrove deforestation may be avoided each year at an average cost of less than $10 per ton CO2, conclude Siikamaki et al. in their study (1) in PNAS. Avoiding CO2 emission from mangroves would have the beneficial side effect of protecting biodiversity. With careful selection of areas to be protected, increased protection of biodiversity could be obtained at relatively little additional cost. However, a major challenge to mangrove protection is the availability of good governance. It is one thing to pay for mangrove protection and another thing entirely for those mangroves to be protected in practice.