The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually. “Between 2005 to 2015, 56% of property damage in the Philippines was due to typhoons and storms, and another 29% due to floods,” wrote World Bank’s Michael Beck and Glenn-Marie Lange.
Some climatologists have speculated that, as a consequence of climate change, typhoons are likely to become more intense and destructive. Given that the Philippines comprises over 7,000 islands, it is essential to focus on the often-overlooked mangrove forests. It is imperative to restore mangrove ecosystems and increase the planting of mangroves in coastal regions.
“With the threats of climate change in the Philippines particularly storm surges, tsunamis and strong typhoons,” says Dr. Elmer Mercado, a former official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, “mangrove is the most appropriate, least expensive climate change adaptation protection for our coastal-based communities.”
Mangroves, often overlooked, play a crucial role in safeguarding individuals and properties from the devastation caused by typhoons. Dr. Moises Neil V. Seriño, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at Visayas State University, discovered this insight after he and his fellow researchers conducted a study on the effects of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
“Our study shows that mangrove vegetation reduced the number of deaths and damaged houses during the Yolanda incident,” Dr. Seriño told Edge Davao. “This property and lifesaving effects of mangrove is robust. Mangroves can protect us (our lives, livelihood and properties) from damaging effects of typhoons.”
Dr. Seriño and his team gathered data from regions affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), specifically in Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Panay, and Palawan. “Our focus was on mangroves, as these ecosystems have experienced significant degradation over the past decades, yet they play a vital role in shielding coastal communities from the harmful impacts of typhoons,” he explained.
Upon collecting and analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that mangroves indeed “provided significant protection to communities.” He added, “Coastal communities with substantial mangrove cover suffered fewer or less casualty and less housing damages as compared to coastal communities with reduced mangrove cover.”
The team also reported that mangroves also suffered from typhoons “but they also generate and grow back naturally,” Dr. Seriño said. “If you have thick mangrove cover, the expected damage will be reduced.”
Dr. Severino G. Salmo III, associate professor at the Institute of Biology College of Science of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, agrees that mangroves can really protect coastal communities against typhoons.
“But it is not as straightforward as that,” he pointed out. “The types of mangroves, the length and extent, and the structural complexity will matter more than the simple presence.”
To put it simply, Dr. Salmo explained: “If you restore a mangrove today, and there’s a typhoon tomorrow, do not expect that it will protect the coast compared to mangroves that are more mature. Alternatively, even if you have a 30-year old mangroves but these are too sparse and not diverse, the protection will be practically limited to none.”
This is one of the reasons why the Economic World Forum (EWF) urged that old-growth mangroves should be protected from denudation. “The sturdy root systems of mangrove trees help form a natural barrier against violent storm surges and floods,” it said.
Another reason: mangrove forests are carbon sinks. “Coastal forests help the fight against global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, most of which is stored within the plant,” EWF said. “When mangrove tree roots, branches and leaves die they are usually covered by soil, which is then submerged under tidal water, slowing the breakdown of materials and boosting carbon storage.”
According to several studies, coastal mangroves perform better than most other forests in terms of their ability to store carbon. An analysis of 25 mangrove forests in the Indo-Pacific area revealed that they contain up to four times as much carbon per hectare as other tropical rainforests.
Still another reason: mangroves provide livelihoods. For one, the mangrove trees are a reliable source of wood for construction and fuel, which is prized for its hardy resistance to both rot and insects. However, in some areas, the wood has been harvested commercially for pulp, wood chip and charcoal, raising concerns about sustainability.
But more importantly, the mangrove forest provides local fishermen with a rich supply of fish, crabs and shellfish to sell for income. Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, an academician with the National Academy of Science and Technology, considers mangroves as “fish factories.” More than 3,000 fish species are found in mangrove ecosystems.
“They serve as nursery grounds for fishes by providing their fry with food such as zooplankton,” Dr. Guerrero says. “They also serve as breeding or spawning grounds for fishes, shrimps, and mollusks.”
The muddy waters around mangroves are rich in nutrients from decaying leaves and organic matter produced by the mangroves themselves and also from the sediment that is trapped around the roots.
Fish, like rice, is the staple food of Filipinos. That’s why experts are urging people to protect these mangrove forests at all costs. “Local leaders must act to preserve mangrove forests and the ecosystem services that benefit all Filipinos,” said a policy brief produced by the Washington, D.C.-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB) under the Research Technical Assistance Center.
But just like their counterparts in the uplands, mangroves are cut wantonly and now they are on the verge of extinction. “In the Philippines and around the world, mangroves forests are under threat from both human and natural forces,” said the policy brief, which was based on Dr. Salmo’s research projects funded by the US’ National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and USAID through the Partnerships for the Enhancement of Engagement in Research (PEER) program.
All over the country, mangroves are cut wantonly for various reasons. A global Landsat imaging done from 1990 to 2010 showed the estimated total area of mangrove coverage at 256,185 hectares in 2000. The result of the study, published in Journal of Coastal Research, found 66 out of 82 provinces have substantial mangroves.
Palawan, the country’s last frontier, topped the provinces with the most mangrove areas as a percentage of total national area with 22.2%. Most in the top list were from Mindanao: Sulu (8%), Zamboanga del Norte and del Sur (9.8%), Surigao del Norte and del Sur (6.8%), Tawi-Tawi (4.4%), and Basilan (2.97%).
Also in the top lists were Eastern and Western Samar (6.1%), Quezon (5.5%), and Bohol (3.69%). About 49,000 hectares, or 19% of the total national area, is under protection of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature for “long-term conservation purposes.” The protected mangroves are located in Palawan, Siargao, Malampaya Sound, Biri Larosa, El Nido, Tanon Strait, Northern Sierra Madre, Dumanquilas Bay, Sibuyan Islands, and Calauit Island.
“The loss of mangroves will have devastating economic and environmental consequences,” says Greg Stone, Senior Vice President of Marine Programs at Conservation International, another environmental group based in Washington, D.C. “These ecosystems are not only a vital component in efforts to fight climate change, but they also protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people from extreme weather and provide them with a source of food and income.”
The mangroves grow in the salty and brackish waters of the country’s coastline. “Filipino communities have long lived harmoniously with mangrove forests, which have become intertwined with coastal cultural identities,” the briefer said.
As stated earlier, mangroves protect local communities during typhoons. “Mangrove roots, trunks, and branches create a break that reduces the speed and force of the winds and waves that pass through them,” the briefer explained. “This break limits how far inland floods and strong winds can penetrate, reducing the damage they can cause.”
In addition, their root systems trap sediment and protect against shoreline erosion from wave action, helping to stabilize elevation as sea levels rise. More importantly, mangroves can reduce the impacts of damage caused by flooding.
The briefer said about 600,000 Filipinos are protected from flooding by mangroves each year. “Many of these people live in poverty,” it said.
Around the world, there are 54 species of true mangroves (34 major and 20 minor) and 60 mangrove associates. True mangrove species are those that strictly grow in the mangrove environment while associated species may thrive on other habitat types such as beach forest and lowland areas.
The Philippines has around 47 “true mangroves” and associated species belonging to 26 families.
Sylvia Earle, an American marine biologist and author, reminded: “Mangroves are amazing ecosystems. They provide habitats for countless species of animals and plants, protect shorelines from erosion and storms, and filter pollutants from the water. These ‘forests of the sea’ are truly a vital part of our planet’s natural systems.”
– ###
