Global Mangroves into 2030/2050

Mangroves are important for biodiversity, fishery resources, safety and livelihood of coastal communities. It plays irreplaceable role in blue carbon sequestration and disaster risk reduction. Globally, mangroves are still in the trend of declining, which threatens the progress of achieving the SDGs. There is urgent need in international cooperation on mangrove conservation and restoration due to the lack of resources and synchronized actions. The Ramsar Convention has the mission to urge the Contracting Parties to conserve and wisely use all the wetlands including mangroves within their jurisdiction, as popularized in Global Wetland Outlook Special Edition 2021. Resolution VIII.32 and Resolution XIII.14 aim at strengthening the awareness and actions on mangrove ecosystems. UN Ocean Conference 2022 has mobilized actions which integrate with UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). This side event will review the progress and challenges on global mangrove conservation, promote consensus among stakeholders in protecting mangrove and blue carbon, and mobilize science-based innovation and synchronized actions in the next decade, under the vision 2050 on biodiversity. The side event aims to call the attention of the Contracting Parties and multiple stakeholders to strive for halting the loss, conversion and degradation of mangrove wetlands and increasing blue carbon storage.

The side event will be jointly organized by the MCF, UNEP, IUCN, WWF, WI, GMA, Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology (SEE), Vanke Foundation and NFGA of China(these partner organizations are still in invitation process). Representatives from UN agencies, IOPs/NGOs and Private Sectors will be invited. There will be opening remarks by the Secretariat of Ramsar Convention, MCF and NFGA of China, and UN agency representatives and IOP/NGO representatives will deliver speeches.