How do mangroves protect coastal communities from extreme weather?

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When the severe Typhoon Rai hit Siargao Island in 2021, for example, more than 8,000 hectares of mangrove forests broke the energy of the waves and protected coastal villagers, contributing to a low fatality rate, wetland experts say.

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Mangroves can be found in 118 countries, but 75% of the world's mangroves are located in just 15 countries in the tropical and subtropical regions, including Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines, according to data from the Global Forest Watch.

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While mangroves cannot completely block high water levels that are generated during storm surges, they slow down storm speeds, waves and coastal flooding, according to a 2024 study by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Mangroves also prevent more than $65 billion in property damage from storms and reduce flood risk to some 15 million people every year, according to a report published in the Nature journal in 2020.

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