Rooted in Resilience: Southeast Asia's Mangroves Sustain Life Along the Coast - Seasia.co

At low tide, mangrove forests reveal crabs moving through mud, young fish hiding among roots, and waterways linking villages to the sea. Across Southeast Asia, these ecosystems support livelihoods, store carbon and help shield vulnerable coastlines. The region contains about one-third of the world’s mangroves. Indonesia holds the largest national extent, with roughly 3.4 million hectares mapped in its 2021 National Mangrove Map, exceeding one-fifth of the global total. Much of mangroves’ climate value sits in waterlogged, carbon-rich soils; disturbing them can release long-stored carbon. A 2015 study estimated Indonesian mangroves store around 3.14 billion metric tonnes of carbon. Beyond climate, mangroves reduce wave energy, trap sediment and can prevent over US$65 billion in annual flood property damage, with modelling suggesting many more people face flooding without them.