Creating crucial wetland areas between land and sea, mangroves provide a biodiverse habitat for both marine and terrestrial life. But the world's mangrove forests are rapidly disappearing, due to a host of destructive ecological and social practices. A long-term management plan for the sustainable use of mangrove ecosystems is urgently needed. Monitoring, research, and evaluation are vital components of a successful conservation strategy for natural, managed, and man-made mangrove forests. Mangrove Management and Conservation presents the highlights of a workshop organized by the United Nations University (Tokyo), the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (Japan), and the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere programme (MAB), in March 2000. The experts contributing to this volume outline the key areas for future focus in the stewardship of this vital ecosystem, including appropriate legislation, community participation and empowerment, management agreements among communities, governments, and NGOs, and local responsibility for supervision and enforcement of rules and regulations. An action plan for the worldwide conservation and use of mangroves concludes the volume. |
