LEDS GP event: Advancing the mapping and monitoring of mangrove ecosystems

Location: Novotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

This workshop, from our Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use Working Group, aims to share the latest advances in mangrove ecosystem mapping and monitoring and to encourage discussion on how to best apply available methods for diverse range of national objectives. Also supporting the workshop are SERVIR-Mekong, SilvaCarbon, the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP) and the USAID Low Emissions Asian Development (LEAD) Program.

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, globally. Sustainable management of mangroves thus plays an important role in global climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Southeast Asian mangroves are considered the world’s most diverse mangrove forests. 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 ha. 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.

This workshop aims to share the latest advances in mangrove forest mapping and monitoring and to encourage discussion on how to best apply available methods for diverse range of national objectives.

The workshop organizers are dedicated to supporting improvements in the capacity of countries in the Mekong region to detect and monitor change in their dynamic landscapes. Regional needs assessment by SERVIR-Mekong identified better understanding of the changes in mangrove forests among the priorities for ecosystem valuation and for reporting to international climate change conventions. Similarly, SilvaCarbon counterparts have highlighted the need for knowledge transfer on operational methods for improved mangrove mapping in order to advance with their REDD+ MRV at national level.

In order to address these priorities and knowledge gaps, the workshop will take a closer look at existing methods that integrate remote sensing and field data and discuss the challenges and opportunities with up-scaling such approaches at national and regional level.

Download the full agenda here.

Image credit: Kate Evans/ Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)