Mitigate risk for Malaysia's mangroves

Malaysia is the third largest mangrove-holding nation, with 4691 km2 of mangroves (1), despite the reported losses including 278 km2 between 2000 and 2014 (1). Mangrove habitat loss in Malaysia is mainly attributed to land conversion for agriculture, aquaculture, and urban development (2). Malaysia's mangroves are also affected by severe erosion, aggravated by anthropogenic disturbances along with the rising sea level (3). The combined effect from these disturbances jeopardizes the role of mangroves as a functional habitat that provides vital ecosystem services and connectivity and secures the livelihoods of Malaysia's coastal communities (4). The remaining mangroves are now fragmented and are susceptible to further disturbances, putting the ecosystems at a greater risk of collapsing (5).