Events

AFOLU Working Group Technical Workshop: Advancing the mapping and monitoring of mangrove ecosystems

Aug 09
2016
-
12
Location
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
SERVIR-Mekong Events
 

Mangrove forests are recognized for their biological diversity and wide‐range of ecosystem services, including high carbon storage capacity, estimated at some 20 Pg Carbon, globally1. Sustainable management of mangroves thus plays an important role in global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Southeast Asia mangroves are considered the world's most diverse mangrove forests2. However, over much of their current and former distribution, they have been in flux due to both natural and anthropogenic forces. A recent study by National University of Singapore estimates that the rate of loss of mangrove ecosystems in Southeast Asia averaged 0.18% per year between 2000‐2012 resulting in a cumulative loss of some 100,000 ha3. Accurate observation and timely monitoring with remote sensing technology can significantly increase our understanding of mangrove forest distribution, variability, and flux, thus supporting informed decision making for coastal zone management.

Workshop Objectives
Goal: The workshop is designed to bridge the gap between latest technological advances and current decision‐making for coastal zone management. The specific objectives of the workshop are:

  1. Identify key policy, planning, management, and other decisions for which mangrove information is needed;
  2. Review current methods and technologies for mapping and monitoring mangrove distribution, structure, and condition;
  3. Identify current technical capacity needs and support required for improving the creation and use of mangrove data in the region.