Global Mangrove Watch (GMW) Mangrove Alerts – Turning the Tide on Mangrove Loss in Kenya
Mangrove forests are among the most productive and beneficial ecosystems on Earth. They help protect coastlines from erosion and extreme weather, support fisheries and biodiversity, and store large amounts of carbon — contributing significantly to both climate mitigation and adaptation.
Despite their importance, mangroves continue to face pressures from deforestation, land conversion, and natural degradation. Responding to these threats requires timely, reliable data and the ability to act quickly on it.
Developed as a free and open-access platform, the Global Mangrove Watch provides near-real-time information on mangrove extent, loss, restoration potential, and carbon stocks. Designed to support practitioners, policymakers, and investors, the platform provides relevant information needed to safeguard and restore these vital coastal ecosystems.
By combining high-resolution remote sensing data with local insights, the platform strengthens decision-making at all levels — from on-the-ground park managers to national planning and policy teams.
One of GMW’s most impactful features is its disturbance alerts, which detect changes in mangrove cover caused by logging, erosion, storm damage, or agricultural expansion. These alerts have enabled conservation actors to move from reactive to proactive interventions.
In Kenya, this is already making a difference.
In the video below, conservation staff explain how an alert from GMW helped them detect a sudden change in canopy cover in a specific location. They were able to investigate the site promptly — using the data as a trigger for ground verification and early response.
This is just one example of how GMW is being used in Kenya to support mangrove conservation, enhance monitoring efforts, and guide future restoration planning.
Through the platform, users can:
- Track changes in mangrove extent from 1996 to the present, updated every two years
- Receive near-real-time alerts on disturbance or loss
- Identify areas suitable for restoration, such as degraded or abandoned aquaculture zones
- Visualise carbon stocks stored in mangrove biomass and soils to support climate planning and carbon market engagement
Mangrove Restoration With Global Mangrove Watch
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As countries prepare to meet global biodiversity and climate goals, tools like Global Mangrove Watch offer essential support for evidence-based policy, community engagement, and targeted interventions.
Kenya’s experience highlights what is possible when high-quality data is made accessible and actionable.
At Ramsar COP15, we join the call for stronger recognition of wetlands in climate and development agendas — and for greater support to initiatives that make this kind of progress possible.
For more information, contact
Susanna Tol
