Recommendations for the Conservation of Estuaries and Restoration of Mangroves in Central and South America

The report emphasizes the critical role of estuaries and mangroves in Central and South America for biodiversity, carbon capture, and coastal protection. It argues that these 'blue carbon' ecosystems are threatened by climate change, pollution, and urbanization, and calls for a comprehensive framework involving scientific diplomacy, transboundary cooperation, and community engagement. The document provides specific policy recommendations across four dimensions: ecology, ecosystem services, spatial governance, and community action, while highlighting the Coiba Archipelago in Panama and the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica as case studies for sustainable management.

• Estuaries and mangroves are essential for climate change mitigation as they capture carbon and act as natural climate regulators, contributing to what is termed 'blue carbon'.
• These ecosystems face significant threats from both anthropogenic and climatic factors, including pollution, urbanization, land use change, and the increased frequency and magnitude of El Niño-La Niña events.
• There is a lack of comprehensive data on estuaries in Central America and the Caribbean, as much of the existing ecological and economic knowledge is based on temperate estuaries from Europe, North America, and parts of South America.
• The Coiba Archipelago in Panama is identified as a model site for healthy estuaries and mangroves due to its high state of conservation and presence of six mangrove species, including the rare piñuelo mangrove.
• The Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica serves as a case study for landscape restoration, featuring gender-focused initiatives where women's groups lead mangrove planting and educational campaigns.
• The report recommends the use of scientific diplomacy and transboundary cooperation to manage shared estuaries and mangroves, emphasizing the need for inclusive governance and the integration of ancestral knowledge.
• Policy recommendations include establishing biodiversity monitoring programs, developing protocols for water and ecological flows, and implementing economic valuation techniques to understand the intangible market value of mangrove services.

APA

Díaz-Ferguson, E., Echeverria-King, L. F., Pantović, B., Segovia, J., Aranguren, Y., Brugnoli, E., Muniz, P., Weiler, A., de Gracia, E. F., Ramírez, Á. M., Lasso, E., Sánchez-Gallego, J., Urriola-Garcia, K., Ana, R. S., Zapata, S., da Cruz, A. C., Fábrega, A. V., Alarcón-López, C., & Ohira, M. (2024). Recommendations for the Conservation of Estuaries and Restoration of Mangroves in Central and South America. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Estuarios_IAI_EN_2024.pdf

Chicago

Díaz-Ferguson, Edgardo, Luisa F. Echeverria-King, Branislav Pantović, Johanna Segovia, Yani Aranguren, Ernesto Brugnoli, Pablo Muniz, et al. Recommendations for the Conservation of Estuaries and Restoration of Mangroves in Central and South America. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, 2024. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Estuarios_IAI_EN_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Díaz-Ferguson |first1=Edgardo |last2=Echeverria-King |first2=Luisa F. |last3=Pantović |first3=Branislav |last4=Segovia |first4=Johanna |last5=Aranguren |first5=Yani |last6=Brugnoli |first6=Ernesto |last7=Muniz |first7=Pablo |last8=Weiler |first8=Andrea |last9=de Gracia |first9=Eric Flores |display-authors=etal |title=Recommendations for the Conservation of Estuaries and Restoration of Mangroves in Central and South America |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |date=2024 |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Estuarios_IAI_EN_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dazferguson2024recommendations, author = {Díaz-Ferguson, Edgardo and Echeverria-King, Luisa F. and Pantović, Branislav and Segovia, Johanna and Aranguren, Yani and Brugnoli, Ernesto and Muniz, Pablo and Weiler, Andrea and de Gracia, Eric Flores and Ramírez, Álvaro Morales and Lasso, Eloisa and Sánchez-Gallego, Joel and Urriola-Garcia, Karly and Ana, Rodrigo Sant and Zapata, Sofía and da Cruz, Andrea Cancela and Fábrega, Anabella Vásquez and Alarcón-López, Claudia and Ohira, Marcella}, title = {{Recommendations for the Conservation of Estuaries and Restoration of Mangroves in Central and South America}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2024}, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Estuarios_IAI_EN_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }