Southeast Asia is home to approximately 42 percent of the world’s total mangrove forests, providing crucial breeding habitats for nearly 75 percent of marine species in the region, according to the Mangrove Alliance’s “The State of the World’s Mangroves” report from 2021.

Indonesia alone is home to approximately 20 percent of the world’s mangroves, accounting for 3.2 million hectares. Mangroves also protect us against coastal erosion and storm surges, improve water quality and sequester carbon at rates up to 10 times higher than terrestrial forests.  

The benefits of mangroves are felt globally, yet the onus is on mangrove-rich regions to preserve these ecosystems. Moving beyond these silos requires accelerating mangrove restoration on a  larger scale. Unleashing the full potential of two crucial elements, namely technological innovation and collaboration, is critical in bringing this vision to life.

Key to the future of our coastal ecosystems and mangrove development lies in the most modern of answers: Technology. When it comes to mangrove protection, advanced technologies, from satellite imagery to remote sensing, are transforming the way we monitor mangrove coverage, enabling us to track progress in real time and respond rapidly to varying ecological changes.  

To achieve the greatest level of success and value, climate technology must first start with nature. Using science, we identify the natural processes involved and then complement our findings with the local knowledge handed down over generations, then combine it with technology.

The goal should be to develop straightforward, efficient and accessible devices that can be utilized over an extended period by a wide range of people and can be tailored to various ecological environments. The most robust and versatile solutions should strive to incorporate locally sourced materials and be guided by the future users themselves.

Combining the power of technology with ecology is also key to building long-term climate resilience. These contributions can go beyond the immediate benefits of conservation and regeneration to bring further enhancements in areas ranging from water security to agricultural fertility.

One such innovation is drone technology. Drone technology offers a precise yet scalable method for mangrove restoration, enabling large-scale planting while closely monitoring for environmental impact. Coupled with advanced mapping and real-time monitoring, drone technology can further optimize restoration efforts and enhance climate resilience. This approach is especially valuable in places such as Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, where mangrove ecosystems are vital in protecting coastal communities.

Globally, we are seeing very encouraging green shoots in leveraging these advanced technologies to boost mangrove restoration, from the deployment of AI-powered mangrove monitoring systems in Indonesia, to the use of aerial planting technology to plant mangrove seeds in Ghana.

In the UAE, we have seen exciting advances in the use of drone technology to accelerate mangrove planting in places such as Abu Dhabi, including drones that can plant over 2,000 mangrove seeds in the span of eight minutes.

These innovations showcase the promising potential of technology to accelerate mangrove conservation and restoration. Yet, maintaining the momentum of these exciting innovations requires not only the power of technology, but also greater collaboration across local, regional and global levels to expand these solutions at scale.  

Mangrove restoration characteristics have commonality, and work undertaken in one place can inform initiatives in another. Fortunately, leaders in climate innovation are increasingly conscious of the critical role that community engagement, integrity, inclusivity and technology can play. For example, in Abu Dhabi, we have partnered with local communities and organizations ranging from the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), to accelerate mangrove restoration efforts across the Emirate. All of this is rooted in a shared vision to plant 100 million mangroves across the UAE by 2030 using low cost, highly effective technology that is easy to use.  

Globally, and especially in Asia, international coalitions such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) and the Global Mangrove Alliance showcase how collaboration can further elevate the importance of mangrove protection on the global agenda.

The Mangrove Alliance for Climate, established by Indonesia and the UAE, convenes government partners around the world to accelerate capacity-building and community development. In May 2024, the UAE and Indonesia also unveiled the Mohamed bin Zayed-Joko Widodo International Mangrove Research Center. Located in Bali, the center is focused on accelerating mangrove cultivation globally through research and the exchange of best practices, pooling together expertise to address mangrove restoration on a larger scale.

By integrating indigenous wisdom, collaborating with nature and making technology and funding more accessible, climate innovators have a remarkable chance to prioritize solutions that are practical, affordable, and widely applicable. This approach empowers local coastal communities to take control of their destinies, fostering sustainable development and long-term ecological balance.

Technology serves as a means to an end and its true worth lies in the opportunity it provides for those most affected by climate change to actively design and implement their own resilient future in our evolving world. Through greater collaboration, localized thinking and technological  advances, we can help local communities become more resilient.

By democratizing technological solutions, we can bolster our efforts to plant and preserve more mangrove forests where it truly matters. We must unleash the full potential of technology to enhance how we approach mangrove conservation, as well as catalyze greater collaboration to enable these innovations to reach communities in need around the world.

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The writer is a co-founder of environmental technology company Distant Imagery.