Getting the best of carbon bang for mangrove restoration buck
Mangrove loss has reduced its carbon (C) sink function and ecosystem services. To effectively allocate climate finance for mangrove restoration, a thorough assessment of restoration potential is necessary. Here we show a net loss of ecosystem service value (ESV) of 29.2 billion USD ($) due to land changes in mangroves from 1996 to 2019. The estimated mangrove ESV in 2019 amounts to $894 billion yr<sup>-1</sup>, mainly provided by regulating and provisioning services (57.4% and 19.7%). Over the next two decades, we project that the restoration of mangroves would necessitate an investment of $40.0-52.1 billion, yielding net gains in ESV of $231-725 billion. The global benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of mangrove restoration ranges from 6.35 to 15.0, demonstrating that such projects are highly cost-effective. Furthermore, an estimated of 19.4 Tg C can be sequestrated in mangrove soils based on a 20-year mangrove restoration program, which can generate $68.6-$236 million via blue C trading. Our findings highlight the significant opportunities for blue C restoration projects to mitigate climate change and support livelihoods.
Authors
- Zhe Lü (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9109-7943)
- Jiacan Yuan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3847-4490)
- Peter Ian Macreadie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7362-0882)
- Faming Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7543-6779)
- Guoming Qin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8959-3118)
- Yuanzhi Bai
- Jinge Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1682-6475)
- Christian J. Sanders (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0090-0896)
- Xingyun Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6450-8522)
- Jingfan Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5444-9952)
Institutions
- Hainan University (CN)
- Fudan University (CN)
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (CN)
- Department of Ecology and Environment of Hainan Province (CN)
- South China Botanical Garden (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (CN)
- Southern Cross University (AU)
- RMIT University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-02-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56587-2
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 18.88
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration
- Alliance of International Science Organizations
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association