In the front line: shoreline protection and other ecosystem services from mangroves and coral reefs

This document builds on the Indian Ocean tsunami and the catastrophic 2005 hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico to issue a wake-up call for the global community, dramatically drawing attention to the vulnerability of tropical coastal ecosystems and the dangers of undermining the services they provide to humankind.

It highlights lessons learnt in terms of loss of life, damage sustained, and approaches to reconstruction and mitigation are critically relevant to future management of the coast in a context of increasing severe weather events such as hurricanes and typhoons, and other potential consequences of global warming. More than ever, it calls to consider the full value of ‘ecosystem services’ (the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems) when making decisions about coastal development.

The aim of this publication is to help decision makers and policy makers around the world understand the importance of coastal habitats to humans, using coral reefs and mangroves as an example.