July 11, 2019

An opinion piece by Associate Professor Daniel Friess (NUS Department of Geography) recently elaborated on the significance, as well as importance, of mangrove conservation in Singapore. This article comes in light of the the 5^th international Mangrove Macrobenthos and Management Meeting (MMM5), held from the first to fourth of July.

A/P Friess stresses that not only are mangroves ecologically significant habitats, they are also valuable for carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate against the rapidly increasing levels of global carbon emissions. It is a cause for concern as their numbers continue to dwindle further in Southeast Asia. Despite adapting to adverse, dynamic conditions such as changing tides and high salinity levels, mangroves are increasingly facing additional stress not just from rising sea levels, but from human induced activities such as deforestation, aquaculture and agriculture, to name a few.

A/P Friess concludes by adding that only a concerted effort by all stakeholders, not only from academia but also from the public, will ensure the continued survival of mangroves, not only for them as part of the natural world, but for the continuity of our planet.

Read the full article here.