SDG 14: Life Below Water | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institutions: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change | Ministry of Earth Sciences
UNESCO describes “underwater forests”-giant kelp forests, Posidonia seagrass meadows, mangrove fringes, and sponge fields-as critical but undervalued ecosystems. These submerged habitats act as “blue lungs,” producing oxygen, storing carbon (up to 5× more than tropical forests per area), protecting coastlines from erosion and storms, and filtering excess nutrients. But they are under threat from warming seas, pollution, overfishing, and marine heatwaves. UNESCO’s 1 OCEAN missions have documented these ecosystems in regions including the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Antarctic sponge fields, and California kelp zones. Restoration efforts are underway-kelp reforestation in Brittany, sponge recovery in the Arctic, and sea urchin control in Norway. UNESCO argues that preserving underwater forests is not optional: it’s integral to sustaining planetary life.
These ecosystems represent an intersection of climate, biodiversity, and coastal resilience policy. For coastal nations like India, protecting and restoring underwater forests could support fisheries, sequester carbon, buffer storm surges, and safeguard marine biodiversity. Integrating underwater forest conservation into national marine spatial planning and blue economy frameworks is essential.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India build institutional mechanisms, funding partnerships, and scientific capacity to map, protect, and restore underwater forests-while aligning them with coastal resilience, fisheries, and carbon sequestration goals?
Follow the full news here: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/underwater-forests-challenge-humanity?hub=701