Put the people first: why communities should be central in mangrove conservation

Mangroves are often best conceived as socio-ecological systems because their health and survival are usually closely entwined with the fortunes of the human communities that rely upon them. A growing emphasis on the services that they provide to society has helped slow rates of mangrove destruction. There is now welcome legal and procedural emphasis on the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities in mangrove conservation, and we believe that these trends should be embraced and endorsed by mangrove scientists and conservationists. However, new and emerging policy drivers, particularly those linked to carbon and other markets, could threaten the rights of indigenous people and local communities. There are strong arguments, derived from ethics and efficacy, for ensuring that mangrove conservation is led, or at least heavily influenced, by local communities. Current international and national law and policy are not sufficient to ensure this. We suggest approaches and attitudes that will help keep communities at the centre of conservation efforts and call on mangrove scientists and conservationists to explicitly embrace a community-led mindset.