logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
28m 48s

Where have all the mangroves gone?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Along almost every tropical coastline you can find the tangled roots of mangrove trees, a natural barrier against extreme weather. They are also one of the most powerful weapons we have for fighting climate change. Mangrove forests are six times better at capturing carbon than tropical forests. But in the last 40 years up to a third of mangrove forests worldwide have disappeared.

Joining presenters Kate Razzell and Qasa Alom to discuss where our mangroves have gone are: Leah Glass, Technical Advisor for Blue Carbon at Blue Ventures Andre Aquino Senior Natural Resources Management Specialist, World Bank, Indonesia

Producer: Dearbhail Starr Researchers: Immy Rhodes and Louise Parry Reporter: Fyneface Dumnamene Series producer: Alex Lewis Sound Mix: Tom Brignell Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Reed and Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Up next
Today
Q&A: Beavers, solar panels in the Sahara and nuclear waste
The Climate Question panel answer your queries. Do beavers protect the planet? Should we put solar panels in deserts? And why does the world need to upgrade its electricity grids?Host Graihagh Jackson puts your head-scratchers to Justin Rowlatt, BBC climate editor; Akshat Rathi, ... Show More
26m 28s
Mar 8
What's the climate cost of war?
War leaves a visible trail of destruction: lives and families devastated, homes and communities reduced to rubble. But there is also a climate cost of armed conflict, and it’s an issue that Climate Question listeners have been asking about. So in this show, Host Graihagh Jackson ... Show More
23m 38s
Mar 1
Is cutting methane the quick way to cool the planet?
Methane is much more powerful than carbon dioxide and emissions are still rising. So what can we do to tackle the human-made sources of this greenhouse gas? And could this buy us time to get to grips with climate change?It's a topic which many Climate Question listeners have been ... Show More
24m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
The Mighty Mangrove
Along certain coastlines near the equator, you can find a tree with superpowers. Mangroves provide a safe haven for a whole ecosystem of animals. They also fight climate change by storing tons of carbon, thanks to a spectacular above-ground network of tangled roots. Ecologist Ale ... Show More
12m 11s
Nov 2023
Climate emergency
Category 5 hurricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco, was supercharged by global warming; hurricane expert Kerry Emanual tells Science in Action. Also, Brazilian ecologist Erika Berenguer has witnessed the destruction caused by the prolonged drought in Amazonia, where the rivers ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2023
Why is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rowing back on climate pledges?
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave a hastily arranged press conference this week in which he confirmed he would be rowing back on some previously made government commitments regarding net zero - the point at which we remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as we put in. The rea ... Show More
35m 10s
Mar 2025
Wie Bäume sich verteidigen - Alles Natur
Bäume haben eine beruhigende Wirkung auf uns - ein Spaziergang durch den Wald reduziert Stress. Doch Bäume können auch wehrhaft und angriffslustig sein: Sie kämpfen um Platz, Licht und Ressourcen. Von Claudia Steiner (BR 2023) 
23m 15s
Oct 2023
What’s the cost of invasive species?
Humans have introduced more than 37,000 alien species to places they do not naturally occur. A report launched this week by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services revealed the shocking extent of the damage. Gaia Vince speaks to one of the report’s c ... Show More
28m 10s
Aug 2022
The Wood Wide Web
Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt, Professor of forest ecology and author of "The Mother Tree", Suzanne Simard and botanist Mark Spencer to discover how trees and plants communicate and what they are saying. Suzanne's incredible discovery that trees ... Show More
42m 51s
Nov 2023
Rammed earth: What is it and can it help tackle climate change?
Cement is said to be responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. In the search for an alternative, more sustainable construction material, building companies in Ghana and other African countries are reviving an ancient technique called ‘rammed earth’. Daniel Dadzie, a BBC repo ... Show More
15m 32s