Dar es Salaam, Aug. 7 -- MANGROVES, a unique group of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs thriving in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, are increasingly recognised for their immense ecological and socioeconomic importance.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), mangrove forests are among the most productive and biologically complex ecosystems on earth.

They provide breeding grounds for fish, protect coastlines from erosion and storm surges, purify water and serve as vital carbon sinks, storing up to four times more carbon than terrestrial forests.

Despite their importance, UNESCO reports that over 50 per cent of the worlds mangrove coverage has been lost in the past century, prima...