SEAGRASS

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

 

MANGROVES

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

 

TIDAL MARSHES

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

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Protecting and restoring the world’s mangroves, tidal marshes and sea grasses has never been more important.

That’s because coastal ecosystems don’t just provide habitat for marine species and livelihoods for local communities. They also store ‘blue carbon’ in their soils, roots and plants which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and increase global warming.

 Photo courtesy of Anett Szaszi Ocean Image Bank
FACT

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Scientists have shown blue carbon ecosystems can store, or ‘sequester’, between 10 and 100 times more carbon than forests, which is why halting their destruction and restoring and protecting them has become an international priority.

FACT

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Urgent conservation action is needed because it is estimated that 25-50% of coastal ecosystems have been lost over the last century.

FACT

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Mangrove forest exploitation, coastal development, pollution and pressures from agriculture and aquaculture are some of the common causes for coastal ecosystem damage and destruction.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

The International Partnership for Blue Carbon (the IPBC) is a global network of 55 governments, non-governmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations and research institutions from around the world who understand the importance of coastal ecosystems and are committed to their conservation.

The IPBC’s mission is to be an open forum for IPBC partners to connect, share and collaborate to build solutions, take actions, and benefit from the experience and expertise of the global community.

In particular, our Partners work together to:
  • increase international commitments to protect coastal blue carbon ecosystems
  • improve national policies to protect coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and
  • accelerate on-the-ground implementation of blue carbon protection and restoration activities.
The IPBC’s vision is that all global blue carbon ecosystems (mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses) are protected, sustainably managed or restored – contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity, ocean economies and livelihoods of coastal communities.

WHAT IS BLUE CARBON?

The term ‘coastal blue carbon ecosystems’ refers to three main types of vegetated coastal habitats – mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses

MORE ABOUT BLUE CARBON

OUR PARTNERS

Click + to view our Partner locations

Costa Rica

Vice Ministry of Water and Oceans Affairs of Costa Rica

Fiji

Ministry of Economy

France

Ministére De La Transition Ecologique et Solidaire

Indonesia

Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

Korea

Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation

Monaco

Department of External Affairs and Cooperation

Papua New Guinea

Climate Change & Development Authority

Sierra Leone

National Protected Area Authority

Madagascar

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development

Portugal

Ministry of the Sea

Seychelles

Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment

Somalia

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

United Arab Emirates

Ministry of Climate Change & Environment – Abu Dhabi

United Kingdom

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

United States of America (Washington D.C)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Australia

Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources

Blue Ventures

International (Head office Bristol)

Global Ocean Trust

International (Head office Germany)

Conservation International (CI)

International (Head Office USA)

E2E Foundation

International (Head Office Colombia)

Norway

Norwegian Government

EcoViva

International (Head office Georgia, USA)

GreenFleet

Head office Australia

Restore America’s Estuaries

International (Arlington, VA United States)

Silvestrum

International (Head office United States)

IUCN

International ( Head office Gland, Switzerland)

Mangrove Action Project

International (Seattle, USA)

The Nature Conservancy

International (Head office Arlington Virginia, United States)

World Wildlife Foundation

International (Geneva, Switzerland)

AGEDI

International (Head office Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

CIFOR

International (Jawa Barat, Indonesia)

CSIRO

Canberra, Australia

GRID-Arendal

International (Head office Arendal, Norway)

IOC-UNESCO

International (Head office Paris, France)

PEMSEA

International (Head office Quezon City, Philippines)

PARI

International head office(Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan)

SPREP

International (Head office Samoa)

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

International (Head office Suva, Fiji)

PIDF

International (Head office Suva, Fiji)

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Gland, Switzerland

University of Melbourne

(Head office Melbourne, Australia)

Winrock International

International (Head office Arkansas, United States)

CATIE

The Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center

GIZ

International (Head office Germany)

The University of Queensland (UQ)

(Head office Australia)

PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

RESOURCES