Pathways to Sustainable Mangrove Governance

Abstract

This chapter examines mangrove governance as a pathway for bridging policy and practice in climate resilience. It explores national and local structures, highlighting strengths and weaknesses in policies, decentralization challenges, and institutional fragmentation. Case studies from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, and the Philippines illustrate diverse approaches, from disaster risk reduction and large-scale restoration to community stewardship and carbon finance. Persistent barriers include conflicts between development and conservation, weak enforcement, equity gaps, and political-economic complexities. Future directions emphasize resilient governance systems, multi-level and transboundary cooperation, scaling community-based models, and embedding mangroves into sustainability agendas. Governance is reaffirmed as the cornerstone of sustainable mangrove management, requiring adaptive, inclusive, and collaborative frameworks to ensure ecological resilience and social equity.