Posted by Dave Collins on August 11, 2007, 2:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Laguna Navidad Mangrove Saved--For Now"
67.142.130.11
Once again, thank you for the support. I think that this event marks a hopeful turning point on the Costalegre regarding unchecked irresponsible development that does not take environmental and social consequences into consideration. The development company in question is called Sea Way, and the proposed development is called Isla Primavera. It is my hope, in this case and in general, that a compromise can be reached between development and the environment--a compromise that ensures continued economic growth while preserving critical natural resources such as mangroves. This is one of the aims of Tierralegre. Concerning mangroves: They are an endangered ecosystem globally--50% have already been destroyed. In Mexico 75% of coastal mangroves have been destroyed. Mangroves are valuable natural capital. They provide the following ecological services: 1) natural filtration of sediments and contaminants (this is especially important for the survival of coral reefs, another extremely important ecosystem, because mangroves filter the water before it hits the ocean); 2) natural protection from floods and hurricanes; 3) habitat and breeding/nursery grounds for marine organisms, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians; 4) Food production (mangroves are especially important for maintaining healthy fisheries, and for exporting necessary nutrients to coral reefs); 5) stabilization of coastlines (they diminish the constant rate of erosion); 6) recreation. Calculating all these ecological services into a dollar amount leads us to the following conclusion: annually, mangroves are worth $18,274 (U.S. dollars) per hectare; over their lifetime, they are worth $1 million/hectare. These are critical equations to make when considering transforming a mangrove from its natural state into something else. |
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