Climate Impact of Blue Projects
Carbon Sequestration
Carbon Sequestration is the storage of carbon dioxide, a process that helps combat the excess of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from human activity. While there are two types of carbon sequestration (biological and geological), carbon offset projects have tended to focus on biological carbon sequestration in the effort to capture the earth’s C02
Biological sequestration is the storage of carbon dioxide within the earth’s vegetation, soils and oceans. Over 25% of the world’s carbon is stored in oceans, and another 25% is stored in the earth’s vegetation. Nature based carbon offset projects look to maintain and expand on current vegetation levels through sustainable conservation in an effort to enhance the earth’s ability to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and slow down the process of global warming.
Coastal Ecosystems
Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrass meadows are vital natural habitats for coastal communities. These ecosystems provide a number of functions, including coastline erosion prevention, provision of native habitats and food security for coastal communities. However, coastal ecosystems most notable function on a global scale is carbon sequestration, that being the capture of carbon dioxide, widely referred to as “Blue Carbon” when referring to coastal ecosystems. With the ability for coastal ecosystems to store significant amounts of blue carbon, they have now been recognised for their significant role in mitigating climate change.
Mangroves
Mangroves are the most significant coastal ecosystems when it comes to the storage of blue carbon. Mangroves are trees and shrubs found in coastal areas and thrive in a saltwater environment. Eighty different species of mangrove trees can be found in coastal areas with low-oxygen soil, slow-moving waters, and fine sediments. Mangroves, together with salt marshes and seagrasses, can be found all around the globe. Combined, these ecosystems cover approximately 49 Million Hectares. Mangroves are critical coastal ecosystems that immediately impact the environment and individuals. They nourish biodiversity as nursery grounds for fish and provide fertile areas for fisheries. Mangroves also act as a layer of protection by stabilising coastlines and preventing soil erosion for coastal communities.
Current Coastal Situation
Despite these benefits, coastal ecosystems are some of the most threated ecosystems on Earth:
- Estimated 340,000 to 980,000 hectares destroyed each year
- An estimated 67% of global mangrove coverage has been lost to date
- Nearly all unprotected mangroves are expected to be lost within the next 100 years
If degraded or destroyed, these ecosystems not only stop capturing atmospheric Co2, but emit the carbon they have stored in the ground for centuries into the atmosphere. Experts estimate that as much as 1.02 billion tons of carbon dioxide are being released annually from degraded coastal ecosystems, equivalent to 19% of global emissions from tropical deforestation.
There are a variety of threats that have led to the significant deforestation of mangrove forests:
- Shrimp farming
- Tourism and the human exposure it brings to mangroves
- Logging
- Coastal development
- Agriculture
Now more than ever it has become of upmost importance to preserve these vulnerable ecosystems. Through Voluntary Carbon Markets, projects that work towards protecting coastal mangroves sustainably have been recognised by industry standards and can generate “Blue Carbon Credits”. These credits have been sought out by corporate entities looking to offset their carbon emissions by investing in carbon offset projects. There is now a potential to enact real positive change on all levels, for the communities who rely on mangrove projects for their livelihoods as well as the world as we work together to reduce global carbon emissions.
