Pacific mangroves under threat

Some islands in the Pacific may see over half of their mangroves fading away steadily by the end of this century, says a UN study. The worst hits will be American Samoa, Fiji, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia. The United Nations Environment Programme study assessed the vulnerability of the 16 Pacific Island nations and territories having native mangroves, and revealed that as much as 13 per cent of the mangrove area may be lost. It said about half the world’s mangrove area has been lost since 1900 as a result of clearances for development.

*Source: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com, Life, the Universe,   dated – Wednesday, July 19, 2006.*