Global mangrove cover increased by 477 square kilometres across 108 countries between 1985 and

Global mangrove cover increased by 477 square kilometres across 108 countries between 1985 and 2025, driven by restoration and stronger protections that mark a modest 0.3 per cent net gain over four decades, according to Global Mangrove Watch data released in July.

Mapping Decades of Coastal Change From Space

Researchers tracked these shifts using 10-meter resolution satellite imagery and machine learning models. This third update from the Global Mangrove Watch mapping initiative spans a 39-year window ending in 2024, extending far past previous tracking that only began in 1996. Lammert Hilarides, the program lead at Wetlands International in the Netherlands, notes the critical need for precise tracking data. The importance of tracking changes in mangroves lies in the need to have accurate information if you want to successfully halt loss, protect and restore mangroves, Hilarides explained by email, pointing out that national and regional trajectories vary widely.

India Leads Expansion While Indonesia Suffers Losses

India added 1,180 square kilometres of mangroves over the study period, leading global growth alongside expansions in Australia, Pakistan, Senegal, and the Philippines. Conversely, Indonesia—home to a fifth of the world’s mangroves—lost 2,043 square kilometres since 1985. Myanmar followed with a loss of 1,458 square kilometres, alongside smaller net declines in Malaysia, Nigeria, and Cuba. Yet recent years reveal notable shifts, as Indonesia’s net decline has slowed considerably since 2010, placing the nation among the top three growers of mangrove cover since 2015.

Ecosystem Services and Climate Armor Under Threat

These salt-tolerant coastal trees filter pollution, trap mud to keep coastal waters clear for coral reefs, and absorb the brunt of storm surges and rising seas. Ogunlade Olamide Martins, an associate director at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, highlights the human cost of these ecosystems vanishing. When mangroves disappear, communities lose a natural barrier against erosion, flooding and rising seas, Martins stated, noting the heightened risks as climate change fuels stronger coastal floods. Meanwhile, decades of oil spills and canalization by oil companies in Nigeria’s Niger Delta have heavily degraded local wetlands. Nnimmo Bassey, director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, emphasizes the economic stakes of recovery: A restored mangrove forest would restore fisheries, economy and livelihoods. It would be a marker of a return of human security in the region, he said.

Policy, Engineering, and Community Action in India

India’s turnaround stems from strict government protections, engineering projects, and local livelihood programs. Ramasubramanian R., a mangrove restoration scientist and senior fellow at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, points out that authorities halted tree felling and designated wetlands as protected zones. Starting in the late 1980s, states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh constructed fish-bone canals to optimize tidal flows and soil chemistry. Programs offering firewood alternatives and paying residents to plant trees successfully integrated women into conservation efforts. Such measures directly counter the drivers of destruction identified in recent reports, including land conversion for aquaculture, urban growth, and over-harvesting for charcoal.

Moving Beyond Quotas Toward Ecological Restoration

While afforestation efforts have yielded gains, many mass planting initiatives fail to establish thriving ecosystems because they focus solely on seedling numbers rather than environmental realities. Experts advocate for community-based ecological mangrove restoration instead. Restoring a forest to a healthy state requires doing more than simply putting an x number of seedlings into the ground, Hilarides noted. It requires community ownership to ensure long term sustainability as well as restoring the ecological conditions for mangroves to grow.