These stunning photographs show how vital mangroves are to the health of the planet
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/article/image/g_5k8RSdky-7-MS4EhxWg3lyE0KcDpXTub3CnFsw7gU.jpg)
Mangroves do more for their ecosystems than most other species on the planet. Image: Unsplash/Timothy K
![A hand holding a looking glass by a lake](/uplink.jpg)
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
Stay up to date:
Future of the Environment
Listen to the article
- The winners of the Mangrove Photography Award 2021 have been announced.
- The competition attracted entries from 65 countries.
- The images demonstrate the importance of mangrove forests to communities around the world.
Mangrove forests, with their roots knee-deep in the sea, provide shelter for endangered wildlife, food for coastal communities, and a rich ecosystem with the ability to extract up to five times as much carbon from the atmosphere as forests on land.
Yet mangrove ecosystems around the world are under threat. In some regions, more than 80% have already been lost. Raising awareness of the vital role that mangroves play in both biodiversity and environmental sustainability is more important than ever.
As the winners of the Mangrove Photography Award 2021 show, mangroves are deeply entwined with life on the shoreline, from the Caribbean to the Middle East and from the Philippines to the Florida coast.
The competition is run by the Mangrove Action Project. Now in its seventh year, it has attracted entries from 65 countries. Here are some of its most impressive submissions.
Overall Winner: “A Brave Livelihood” — Musfiqur Rahman, Bangladesh
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/S0AK4KQDixbmZMgwo5HfFFmuXerfmXS9NT3XrgoyuGI.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & Landscape: “Autumn Tree” — Zohaib Anjun, UAE
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/mCW6zNA3c2yMKY2D5_OKs2ag6Fbu9dRl9WlBugQA-Hs.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & Wildlife: “Adaptation of the Bengal Tiger” — Arijit Das, India
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/bz5YHj9APhpZXAqRPvMPW87aLl-mSyCCtaDrl8wChaQ.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & People: “Mangrove Propagators” — Mark Kevin Badayos, Philippines
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/YNMTppW3nnl9n2GTr1gxKjN1YsjL3eR-T9uPMs7jEoM.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & Underwater: “Shelter” — Shane Gross, Bahamas
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/A_KDFlWjVSaCUhRJTbDGBvMgMMUG2hJw_rQIB81xemY.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & Threats: “Garbage” — Mark Kevin Badayos, Philippines
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/gbqsW80603xjSy_sST7yYwP2fGb7y__HReg59Jpufvo.jpg)
Winner of Mangroves & Youth: “Coastal Phantom” — Caleb Hoover, USA
![mangrove ecosystem biodiversity keystone species sustainability photography woodland global health environment nature climate change global warming](https://assets.weforum.org/editor/XvA8Dp4EWOrgkGABf0MKhKFv7jkVavB4kaZke6nARH8.jpg)
Asides from hosting the photography competition, the Mangrove Action Project is actively engaged in preserving, conserving, and restoring the world’s mangrove forests, including as a Knowledge Partner of the Mangroves Working Group, led by Friends of Ocean Action.
What's the World Economic Forum doing about mangroves?
Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Related topics:
The Agenda Weekly
A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.
More on Nature and BiodiversitySee all
Zhu Chunquan, Qian Wu and Susan Hu
July 15, 2024
Michelle Meineke
July 12, 2024
Victoria Masterson, Stephen Hall and Madeleine North
July 11, 2024
Yangjie (JoJo) Zheng and John Dutton
June 26, 2024
Tania Strauss and Sundararajan Mahalingam
June 26, 2024