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Which human activities threaten mangrove forests?

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Diagram showing ocean zonation by depth and region, with labeled layers: littoral, sublittoral, bathyal, abyssal, and hadal along the seafloor, and epipelagic, mesopelagic, bathypelagic, and abyssalpelagic in open water. The littoral zone is at the high-tide mark. Vertical scale marks photic and aphotic zones from surface to 10,000 meters. — Marine ecosystem Zonation of the ocean. Note that in the littoral zone the water is at the high-tide mark.

Mangrove forests are vital marine ecosystems that face significant threats from a variety of human activities. These forests are frequently cleared or destroyed to make way for coastal development, urban expansion, aquaculture, tourism, and agriculture.1

Beyond direct land clearing, human-induced hydrological changes—such as the construction of dams, land reclamation, and the diversion of water channels—disrupt the natural flow of water, which is essential for mangrove health. Furthermore, these ecosystems are degraded by water pollution, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff. Other harmful practices include illegal logging, poaching, and the over-harvesting of fish and prawns, all of which undermine the biodiversity and environmental stability of these regions.12

It is a moral imperative to protect these critical habitats, as their destruction not only threatens endangered species but also removes natural buffers against storms and climate change, ultimately endangering the coastal communities that rely on them for protection and resources.12