Mangrove as a Natural Barrier to Environmental Risks and Coastal Protection

• Published in: Mangroves: Ecology, Biodiversity and Management
• Main Author: Asari N.; Suratman M.N.; Mohd Ayob N.A.; Abdul Hamid N.H.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2021
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85131123081&doi=10.1007%2f978-981-16-2494-0_13&partnerID=40&md5=6b3997908567547c8af6dc247732189a

Mangroves has been widely acknowledged for its role as a natural barrier to various environmental risks such as storms, tsunamis, waves, and coastal erosions by becoming the first defense in protecting the coastlines. In addition, this natural barrier also provides a wide range of ecosystem services including fisheries, timber productions, provision of foods, tourism, climate regulation, carbon storage that reduce the coastal communities’ vulnerability to hazards. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, mangroves have been lost due to the pressure of urban developments, rapid expansion of aquaculture and agriculture, mining, overexploitation of timbers, and an increasing environmental risk. Given the extensive damages caused by the impact of environmental risks, for instance, the recent tsunami occurred in 2018 at Sulawesi, mangroves have never been more important to be conserved and restored due their crucial roles in providing natural protection to the ecosystems. Therefore, mangroves need to be seen as valuable resources to be managed and sustainably. This chapter aimed at reviewing the roles of mangrove as coastal protection as well as a natural barrier to storm surges, tsunami, wind, waves, and erosion, and the benefits of protecting mangroves. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.