Since 196 Parties to the Paris Agreement committed to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels, achieving these goals requires dramatically accelerated action. The latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2024 shows that nations must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and 57% by 2035. At regional scales, coastal areas face dual challenges of contributing to climate mitigation while adapting to climate impacts including sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and changing precipitation patterns.
Coastal forests, including mangroves, coastal shrublands, and terrestrial forest systems, represent critical nature-based solutions that simultaneously address climate adaptation and mitigation at regional scales. These ecosystems provide essential adaptation services through coastal protection from storm surges, erosion control, flood mitigation, and habitat connectivity for climate-resilient biodiversity corridors. Simultaneously, they deliver significant mitigation benefits through carbon sequestration in vegetation and soils, with mangroves storing up to 1,000 tC ha-1.
Regional variations in climate vulnerability, ecosystem composition, and management capacity create unique opportunities for implementing coastal forest-based climate solutions. Mangrove forests at the land-sea interface provide storm protection and exceptional carbon storage through complex soil-vegetation-water interactions driven by tidal processes, salinity gradients, and sediment dynamics. Coastal shrublands and terrestrial forests contribute through slope stabilization, watershed protection, and terrestrial carbon sequestration while supporting climate adaptation through micro-climate regulation.
Understanding regional-specific approaches to coastal forest management is essential for optimizing both adaptation and mitigation outcomes. This session welcomes interdisciplinary studies on: (1) regional climate adaptation through coastal forests; (2) carbon sequestration and mitigation potential; (3) regional management and governance strategies; and (4) integrated monitoring and co-benefits assessment.