World Mangrove Day Observed on 26 July 2025.
Important Days
World Mangrove Day—officially known as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem—is celebrated on 26 July each year. Established by UNESCO in 2015, the day was first observed in July 2016 to raise global awareness about the ecological importance of mangrove forests.
- On 6 November 2015, during UNESCO’s 38th General Conference in Paris, the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem was formally approved through resolution 38 C/66 following a request from Ecuador.
- The date, 26 July, commemorates the late Greenpeace activist Hayhow Daniel Nanoto, who died on that day in 1998 while protesting for the restoration of mangrove wetlands in Ecuador.
- Mangrove forests are rare coastal ecosystems located in tropical and subtropical regions where land meets sea. Despite covering less than 1% of global tropical forests, they serve as biodiversity hotspots, protect shorelines from storms and erosion, and store up to five times more carbon than many land-based ecosystems, playing a critical role in the fight against climate change.
Main Point :- (i) Over the past four decades, mangrove coverage globally has declined by about 50%, with certain countries losing over 40% between 1980 and 2005. Accelerated threats such as coastal development, shrimp farming, pollution, and climate change have intensified their destruction. The day highlights the urgent need for conservation and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems.
(ii) While UNESCO spearheads global awareness and protection, national initiatives also play a major role. For instance, under India's MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) scheme, Gujarat led mangrove cultivation in 2025, restoring 19,520 hectares, including 6,000 hectares in Kutch district. India's total mangrove cover spans approximately 4,992 sq km, with the Sundarbans region among the world’s densest mangrove habitats.
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