The Climate Smart Mangrove Tool

The Climate-Smart Mangrove Tool is a methodology developed by WWF and the University of Queensland to help conservationists integrate climate change considerations into mangrove management. It employs a six-step process to evaluate biophysical vulnerability (exposure and sensitivity), assess socio-economic adaptive capacity, and prioritize management actions. The tool emphasizes the importance of site-specific characteristics—such as geomorphic setting, tidal range, and sediment supply—and climate threats like sea level rise and extreme weather. It provides a framework for selecting interventions, such as facilitating landward migration and restoring hydrological connectivity, to enhance the long-term resilience of mangroves.

• The tool utilizes a six-step iterative process to guide climate-smart management: identifying site characteristics, assessing climate threats, combining these to determine vulnerability, assessing adaptive capacity, identifying possible management actions, and prioritizing those actions.
• Mangrove vulnerability is determined by the interaction of three components: exposure to extrinsic climate factors, sensitivity based on internal ecosystem characteristics, and the adaptive capacity of the social-ecological system.
• Sea level rise is identified as the primary long-term climate threat to mangroves, potentially leading to 'coastal squeeze' where mangroves are trapped between rising seas and landward barriers like urban infrastructure or steep topography.
• Tidal range significantly influences vulnerability to sea level rise; sites with low tidal ranges (microtidal) are more susceptible to inundation and rapid retreat than those with high tidal ranges (macrotidal).
• Sediment supply is critical for mangrove survival as it allows for vertical accretion, enabling mangroves to maintain their elevation relative to rising sea levels.
• Different mangrove ecotypes exhibit varying levels of vulnerability; for example, basin and hammock mangroves are highly vulnerable to flooding from increased rainfall, while overwash islands are highly vulnerable to wind and wave regimes.
• Climate-smart management actions include adding sediments to increase elevation, designing infrastructure to facilitate landward migration, and restoring hydrological connectivity to maintain suitable salinity and inundation levels.
• Species selection in restoration is a key resilience factor; for instance, Avicennia species are generally more tolerant of storm damage and hypersaline conditions than Rhizophora species.
• The tool was developed by WWF and the University of Queensland and tested in four specific countries: Colombia, Fiji, Madagascar, and Mexico.

APA

Purandare, J., Chabaneix, N., Andradi-Brown, D. A., Bartlett, R., Abud, M., Calzada, A., Duran, C., Jacobo, P., Rakotondrazafy, J., Robaigau, A., Snyder, R., Villarreal, J., Villarreal-Rosas, J., & Lovelock, C. E. (2024). The Climate Smart Mangrove Tool. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/118/82g6aq6l9m_The_Climate_Smart_Mangroves_Tool_Guidance_Manual.pdf

Chicago

Purandare, Jemma, Nicole Chabaneix, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Ryan Bartlett, Melissa Abud, Alejandra Calzada, Claudia Duran, et al. The Climate Smart Mangrove Tool. WWF International, 2024. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/118/82g6aq6l9m_The_Climate_Smart_Mangroves_Tool_Guidance_Manual.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{purandare2024climate, author = {Purandare, Jemma and Chabaneix, Nicole and Andradi-Brown, Dominic A. and Bartlett, Ryan and Abud, Melissa and Calzada, Alejandra and Duran, Claudia and Jacobo, Pilar and Rakotondrazafy, Judicael and Robaigau, Apolosa and Snyder, Rebecca and Villarreal, Jaime and Villarreal-Rosas, Jaramar and Lovelock, Catherine E.}, title = {{The Climate Smart Mangrove Tool}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/118/82g6aq6l9m_The_Climate_Smart_Mangroves_Tool_Guidance_Manual.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }