Skip to main content

Mangrove ecosystems play a critical role in harbouring biodiversity and providing a variety of ecosystem services. The need for developing better techniques for classifying and monitoring mangroves is increasing, especially with the growing demand in blue carbon markets. However, many countries are challenged by the need to improve their mangrove cover estimates to inform decision-making on coastal land use and to guide local conservation efforts including restoration planning. This manual was developed to help overcome this problem by providing guidance, specifically targeted to build capacity for mangrove resource managers on how to use and take advantage of the latest technologies in mapping and monitoring mangroves. It enables collection of data that informs conservation decision-making, guiding the planning of mangrove restoration and protection activities that will ultimately lead to enhanced management and conservation of mangroves. In addition, case studies are presented on estimating mangrove extent, structure, condition and change, using a range of remote sensing-derived sources that are focused on < 5-m spatial resolution.

PDF Article

Underwater Cards for Assessing Coral Health on Indo-Pacific Reefs

Beeden, R., Willis, B., Raymundo, L.J., Page, C.A., Weil, E.

Using Samoan traditional ecological knowledge to identify calls of the critically endangered endemic tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris)

The tooth-billed pigeon (Didunculus strigirostris) is an endemic and highly cryptic bird of the rainforest canopy of Samoa.

Utilizing Protected and Conserved Areas for Human Health and Well-being: A Technical and Methodological Framework

In recent years, social prescribing—particularly green prescribing and nature prescriptions—has rapidly gained popularity as a holistic approach to improving health and well-being by connecting individuals with nature-based activities and community support.

Valuing nature conservation

Rigorous analysis of opportunities to expand nature conservation can help determine where natural capital could have the biggest impact on climate, jobs, and health.

Video - BIOPAMA grantees' voices: MELAD Kiribati

Experiences from the Kiribati Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development regarding their medium grant under the EU-ACP BIOPAMA Action Component focusing on management interventions for the Kiritimati Island Conservation Protected Area.

Video - National Protected Areas Forum highlights 2021, Papua New Guinea

The aim of the National Protected Areas Forum was to fulfill mandates and strengthen policies to protect the country’s abundant natural assets into the future to benefit all life and future generations.

Vuri Clan Forest Conservation Area Management Plan - Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands

This Management Plan was prepared by the representatives of the Vuri Clan of Sikipozo Tribe in partnership with the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF), Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands (ESSI), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-SI), the Ministry of Forestry and Research (National He

What determines the effectiveness of national protected area networks?

More than 15% of global terrestrial area is under some form of protection and there is a growing impetus to increase this coverage to 30% by 2030. But not all protection is effective and the reasons some countries’ protected areas (PAs) are more effective than others’ are poorly understood.

World Bank Global Biodiversity Data

We describe below the data and provide an overview of the specific variables that are constructed for the analysis in the papers: “Revisiting Global Biodiversity: A Spatial Analysis of Species Occurrence Data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility” by Susmita Dasgupta, Brian

World must act faster to protect 30% of the planet: protected and conserved areas need to double on land and triple at sea by 2030

The international community has made some headway on pledges to protect 30% of the Earth by 2030 but progress must accelerate, the official progress report from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IU

“The children of the Sun and Moon are the gardens”—How people, plants, and a living Sun shape life on Tanna, Vanuatu

Based on original ethnographic and ethnobotanical research, we share how in the cosmology of Tanna, an island in Vanuatu’s southernmost province of Tafea, the Sun is viewed as a living, interactive being.

“The children of the Sun and Moon are the gardens”—How people, plants, and a living Sun shape life on Tanna, Vanuatu

Based on original ethnographic and ethnobotanical research, we share how in the cosmology of Tanna, an island in Vanuatu’s southernmost province of Tafea, the Sun is viewed as a living, interactive being.