SEAGRASS

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

MANGROVES

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

TIDAL MARSHES

BLUE CARBON ECOSYSTEMS

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

01

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

02

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

FACT

03

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 over 60 government agencies 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.

MORE ABOUT IPBC

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

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PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

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