Celebrating World Mangrove Day in Hamburg/ Germany
On July 26, the world celebrates fascinating climate protectors: mangroves. Declared World Mangrove Day by the General Commission of UNESCO, this day raises awareness for the immense environmental and economic importance of this ecosystem, but also the pressing threats that mangroves face and that urgently need to be tackled.
Fascinating climate protectors: mangroves
Despite their physical distance to Germany, mangroves have an impact on the lives of people around the globe, and even our everyday choices in countries like Germany are closely linked to the survival of these habitats. Therefore, on World Mangrove Day 2019, the people of Hamburg got a surprise. The Save Our Mangroves Now! team had placed an eye-catching floating mangrove installation in the city’s central lake and provided curious visitors with information and consumer tips. An additional life-size mangrove on land offered a place to relax and take a break in the shade of its leaves. In the course of the day, we enjoyed great chats and encounters around the installation.
Celebrating World Mangrove Day in Hamburg/ Germany
Mangrove forests occur between sea and land along tropical and subtropical coasts and estuaries. They are among the most prolific, species-rich and adaptable ecosystems on earth. They save three to five times more CO2 per hectare than tropical forests on land, thus helping to reduce climate change. They are not only habitat and nursery for marine life, but also for many birds as well as land-based mammals and reptiles. In addition, mangroves fortify the coasts and mitigate the effects of tidal waves and floods. For more than 120 million people, especially in developing countries, they provide livelihoods and subsistence through the natural resources they provide.
Impressions from World Mangrove Day 2019 in Hamburg
© Mirjam Kluka
/ WWF-Germany
