Born on July 26
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Forests where the sea comes in.
Next: July 26, 2027
Where it comes from
UNESCO's General Conference proclaimed the day on 6 November 2015, at the request of Ecuador, and it was first marked on 26 July 2016. Mangroves are forests that grow in salt water where land meets sea, on stilt-like roots that the tide covers and uncovers.
How it's celebrated
UNESCO and environment groups hold talks, clean-ups and planting days, and biosphere reserves and World Heritage sites with mangroves, such as India's Sundarbans, share their work, and coastal communities restore mangroves by planting seedlings.
Did you know
A belt of mangroves 500 metres wide can cut the height of incoming waves by 50 to 99%.
Read the full story of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
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