Coral reefs 'worth billions'
2006-01-25 13:30
Bangkok - Coral reefs and mangroves not only serve as buffers to reduce the impact of natural disasters, but can also bolster economies by spurring tourism and ensuring the survival of fishing communities, the United Nations said in a report.
Attempting to put an economic value on coastal resources for the first time, the UN study released on Tuesday said mangroves in Thailand could be worth as much as $3.5m per square one kilometre.
Coral reefs in the Caribbean and Indonesia are worth as much as $1m per square kilometre.
But the benefits, the report said, extend far beyond financial gains.
Some studies have concluded that coastal communities with mangroves and coral reefs fared much better during the December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami than those that had destroyed them for shrimp farms and development.
The UN's report affirmed those findings. It estimated a coral reef can typically absorb up to 90% of a wave's force, thus protecting the shore and infrastructure from erosion and damage.
"Mangroves dissipate the energy and size of waves as a result of the drag forces exerted by their multiple roots and stems," it said.
But it warned that reefs and mangroves were on the decline.
Close to a third of the world's corals have gone, and 60% are expected to be lost by 2030, the report found. More than a third of all mangroves have disappeared, with the rate of loss greater than that of tropical rain forests.
"I hope the financial facts contained in this study will radically change the attitude and behaviour of governments, industry, local authorities and individuals, so that they better prize and conserve these natural assets," said Klaus Toepfer, the executive director of the UN's Environment Programme.
- AP