Mighty Mangroves

Conservation International reveals how an “accidental” forest saved a village from a super-typhoon, and has helped revitalise the local fishery.

- Molly Bergen

It all started with an earthquake

It was not out of the ordinary when the ground began to tremble in the fishing barangay (village) of Silonay, Philippines, on November 15, 1994: Part of the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” the Philippines is no stranger to earthquakes. But in the months after the temblor, something strange happened – mangrove seedlings began to sprout up along the muddy banks of the nearby river that emptied out to the ocean.

Before the earthquake, a few mangroves grew near the ocean’s edge, but most of the coast was bare. Whenever typhoons hit and the storm surge rose, the river flooded the town. Just over two decades later, the former stretch of mud is now a thriving mangrove forest.

Climate change is already being felt across the globe, making growing seasons less predictable, raising sea levels and exacerbating extreme weather events such as typhoons and droughts. Adapting to this new reality is critical – and in small towns like Silonay, where poverty is chronic and man-made solutions few and far between, protecting Nature may be the easiest, cheapest way to do it. In fact, it has already saved people from catastrophe.

The new reality

Separating mainland Luzon and the island of Mindoro, the Verde Island Passage is known for its spectacular range of marine life, from whale sharks to sea turtles to record numbers of coral species. These waters also provide food, income from tourism and other benefits for more than seven million people, including the 1,400 residents of Silonay.

When mangroves began growing here, the villagers didn’t quite know what to do with them. Ever resourceful, people began to use the trees for what they could. “[People] cut them down,” said Silonay resident Alma Bool. “They used them as firewood.”