Mangrove Forests Over 500 Metres Wide Proven to Cut Wave Energy by 75%, Prompting Policy Rethink
A global study based on more than 216,000 simulations has found that mangrove forests wider than 500 metres offer far more effective coastal protection than previously assumed. The research, led by the Deltares institute, shows that these broad mangrove belts reduce incoming wave heights by at least 70% regardless of wave intensity, water levels, or local conditions.
Using the SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) model, researchers analyzed 15,773 coastal locations worldwide with mangrove cover. From this dataset, 1,000 representative situations were selected to simulate wave reduction performance under a variety of environmental conditions. The results produced tens of millions of data points and highlighted a clear trend: wider mangroves are consistently more effective at weakening wave ...