Half of world’s mangrove forests are at risk due to human behaviour – study

The loss of the ecosystems, which are vast stores of carbon, would be disastrous for nature and people across the globe', says IUCN

Half of all the world's mangrove forests are at risk of collapse, according to the first-ever expert assessment of these crucial ecosystems and carbon stores.

Human behaviour is the primary cause of their decline, according to the analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with mangroves in southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives most at risk.