Mangroves are trees and shrubs that have adapted to life in a saltwater environment, usually found in the intertidal zone of a coastal or estuarine area. The halophyte characteristics of a mangrove tree allows it to grow in saline environments where no other tree can, thereby making significant contributions to the local ecosystem. Yet these reservoirs of “blue carbon” are seriously threatened. Across the globe, coastal ecosystems are currently being lost at a rate of about 2% a year – a staggering number when the carbon storage potential is considered.
In a harsh desert environment such as Qatar, mangroves are one of the few ecosystems able to sustain life during the hot summer months. In recent years, Qatar government has been more focused on protecting these areas than the past, however 70% of the country’s mangroves have already been lost.
Introduction to Mangroves
Being at the beginning of the marine food chain, mangroves are therefore instrumental to a thriving marine habitat. The mangroves extensive root system provides an area of natural protection for fish and other marine nurseries and play an important role in protecting the coastline from the erosive effects of waves and storms. By filtering sediments, the forests also protect coral reefs and seagrass from being flooded by sediment.
Mangroves can store 5 times more carbon per square metre than tropical or boreal forests and when these areas are destroyed, the carbon is released back into the atmosphere where it contributes to global climate change.
Mangroves in Qatar
Qatar is home to the Avicennia marina species; it is known as the grey or white mangrove trees, with the largest eight forests located in the east coast of the country. The oldest and largest mangroves can be found at Al Thakira and Al Khor. Although the government have starting a replanting project around the country, the mangrove lake at Al Wakra was recently uprooted for development. In a country where the harsh desert conditions limit the vegetation growth, mangroves in Qatar provide a haven for birds, fish and mammals.
Recent studies have shown that Avicennia Marina populations have the ability to adapt to the varying weather along the Qatar coastline through the evolution of genetic variations in the different mangrove forests.
Carbon Sequestration
The coastal ecosystems of mangroves mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it within the biomass of the plant and roots, and in the soils below. This ability to predominantly store carbon in the soils of coastal ecosystems, ensures the carbon is stored for a very long time, up to millennia.
It is estimated that mangroves sequester up to 25.5 million tonnes of carbon per year and provide 10% of the essential dissolved carbon supplied into the world’s oceans.
Mangrove Depletion
Despite increasing awareness regarding the benefits and carbon storing potential of mangroves, their destruction continues globally due to both economic and political motives. Even in countries like Qatar, where mangroves forests are protected by law, a lack of enforcement coupled with an incentive to reclaim land can result in forest destruction. Another cause of mangrove destruction is pollution by solid waste such as plastics and glass.
When these mangrove forests are degraded, lost or converted to other land uses, the stored carbon in the soils are exposed and released into the atmosphere or ocean as CO2. On a global scale, this is currently resulting as 0.15 – 1.02 billion tons of CO2 released annually. The combined global area of mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows equates to only 2-6% of the total forest area. However, degradation of these systems can account for 3-19% of the global carbon emissions from deforestation.
Conservation of Mangroves
Legislation needs to be enacted on a global scale to protect mangroves from direct human damage. Such legislation must be enforced by local government to ensure mangroves are not removed, and the use of herbicides or other chemicals near mangrove forests are banned. Local communities need to be educated to understand the importance of these costal ecosystems, and the effects of their degradation.
The rapid development in Qatar has been encroaching on the mangrove populations along the coastline. Qatar is gradually increasing the level of protection of the country’s mangroves, with 40% of the country’s coastline now protected. Organisations such as Conservation International have begun mapping out the mangroves locations and data in Qatar and around the globe in order to assess the population distribution and threatened areas. With further enforcement and data tools, the mangrove forests of Qatar can be restored, and continue to provide immense benefits to this harsh desert environment.
I lived and worked in Qatar for almost 20 years. Now I’m back home in the UK where You made me reminisce on one of the project I had the honour to manage. It was this Beach Villa for the now Emir, then prince/ heir of Qatar in the same mangrove of north of Al Thakira described here in your good article. I had the chance to supervise the Bathymetric survey of the whole mangrove for purpose of establishing the design of a navigable canal that should lead towards the villa. The underlying principle with witch we were all working with, was of course sustainability though it was written no where. Would you be good as to inform where this beautiful project got at; I am sure everyone would appreciate. Thanks in advance and
Cheers.
Faro of FAROLCO LTD
Hello Hend Kader, really impressed by your article. I would like to contact you to be part of AYCM (Arab Youth Climate Movement) Chapter in Qatar which was recently introduced her in Qatar and i believe your passion for environment can be used for a better tomorrow.
Kindly contact me on neeshadvs@gmail.com or reach me on 74001807
Thanks valuable information from Hend Kader, on mangroves.
Much Useful article Thanks to Hend Kader
Thanks for write up on mangroves in Qatar. I had been integral part or even honestly can claim initiator of conservation or protection of mangroves in Qatar. I had been at Qatar University since early 2002. In a fine morning, one of my cousin (worked with Qatar airways) mentioned to me about that there is Sundabans in Qatar. Noteworthy, the Sundarbans is the world’s largest single tract mangroves covering over 10000 sq.km (6000+in Bangladesh and rest in bordering part of West Bengal, India). It was surprise to a professional forester and conservation planner like. I did so much works on Sundarbans mangroves. I went for a long drive taking my family and cousin. I was amazed to see the mangrove of single species Avicennia Marina. However, got frustrated to seeing close by villas and particularly parking area being developed into water and mud flats. I observed there would be huge opportunity to enlarge this mangrove coverage. Because if we could ensure some level of protection the mud flats would be covered by mangroves through succession.
Next morning I raised this to the then Vice President of the university and discussed with him, how important this mangrove was for Qatar and how this could be conserved or protected or even enlarged. They were very much unaware of forest/mangrove protection and conservation. To make it short, we started speaking to UNESCO and University authority and RasGas for financing a complete assessment of the area. Ultimately we got RasGas funding. This was possible because one my university colleague whom I replaced. He helped us a lot.
We made detail flora, fauna and aquatic ecosystem studies and used remote sensing Landsat MSS, TM, ETM and Quickbird data to assess change dynamism of the vegetation cover during 1973-2002, and later 2006. We made several options of protection e.g., several maps showing the core area, prospective mangroves area in future, buffer area. I had to face lot of grudge of so many vested groups. University had been always with me.
The then Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani had been very visionary. He immediately understood the potential future growth of the mangrove coverage. He advised the current Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (Minister for Education and also Head Nature Conservation Etc) to take the whole of my proposed buffer zone core area. In fact many of my colleagues wanted to remove this map from the file.
We all together drafted law (Emiri Decree) for this first in English and helped Qatari colleagues in translating it to Arabic. We reviewed relevant policies and law India, Bangladesh and other countries. We crossed all the barriers (boat/surfing groups tried lot to stop, in the name of a close by graveyard). However, we kept the graveyard.
Finally it was approved and Emiri Decree was promulgated. I saw a headline news on this in the daily Gulf Times where it mentioned so many peoples engaged but me. It hurt me a lot. I decided to return to Bangladesh and returned.
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