TDA-IME Project Final Report June, 2013 integrity and function of mangrove ecosystems is highly dependent on species richness, functional diversity and forest quality, there is a need for more robust estimates of mangrove area and ecosystem integrity. Recommendations It is recommended that improved and up-to-date estimates of the area of mangroves and their species composition be made using standardized regionally consistent methodologies, and that these include at least a qualitative assessment of ecosystem integrity or health, based on regionally agreed criteria. These assessments should include, for example: canopy cover, species richness and functional diversity parameters. They will require a combination of remote sensing data – supported by ground-truthing, plus other field-level observations. It is also recommended that national and regional level capacity development activities on applying the agreed methodologies for mangrove assessment be provided, supported by an information management system to receive and compile country data for regional and transboundary use. 3. Expanding and improving the restoration/rehabilitation of degraded mangrove ecosystems. Since the 2004 tsunami, mangrove restoration has become a priority for national governments in their quest to provide security against sea storms and other natural hazards. However, there have been many failed mangrove restoration attempts due to various factors, with poor site selection, inappropriate species selection for planting, and failure to reconnect the planted area to its near original hydrological regime, being among the most common ones. The application of knowledge and coastal land use planning is essential to improve the results of mangrove restoration/ rehabilitation efforts. Qualitative information on the state of health, or degradation, of the mangrove forest is vital for planning mangrove restoration/rehabilitation, particularly at transboundary scale. Mangrove restoration/rehabilitation projects have also had disappointing results because they simply planted mangrove seedlings without giving adequate attention to the wider ecosystem and socio-economic issues, such as resource-use access rights, and the mechanisms to safeguard these rights for local people through co-management, stewardship, or other community-centered management arrangements. Overall, because of the highly project-oriented nature of mangrove restoration/rehabilitation activities, there has been inadequate critical evaluation of the results, or compiling of the lessons to be learned from the regional experiences. Recommendations It is recommended that a comprehensive manual on best practices in mangrove restoration/rehabilitation be prepared for regional adoption. It should be disseminated widely and translated into local languages. The manual should also be used to support in-country practical (on-site) training courses 104 which cover the entire spectrum of site-specific restoration/rehabilitation solutions. 4. Communicating the values of mangrove ecosystems to policy makers and general society more effectively. Some of the key underlying causes of mangrove loss and degradation relate to inadequate awareness of the environmental and economic services that mangroves provide, or lack of attention to them, by different stakeholder groups, compounded by poor communication between holders of scientific knowledge, policy makers, the private sector and traditional coastal communities. These issues highlight the need for better information-sharing and communication on mangrove-related issues at all levels, from policy makers, to local government and the general public. There is a need to educate and build capacity, not only for research, but also for communicating and using existing knowledge on mangrove ecosystems. This includes particularly
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of Indochina Mangrove Ecosystems
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