Test titel

We have long known that mangroves and other forested wetlands can act as natural shields against floods. But when it comes to extreme storms, we haven’t had a clear picture of just how well they work. The available models for predicting how much these forests can reduce wave heights are often too complicated for many coastal managers to use. Plus, figuring out the right numbers to plug into these models—especially in extreme conditions—is a tough nut to crack.

Dit is heading 2 New way to measure protection

To tackle this, a team of international researchers gathered data from some of the biggest waves ever recorded in forested wetlands. They looked at waves during a typhoon in China, as well as data from labs and other field studies around the world. What they found is remarkable: mangrove forests of about 100 m width can half the storm wave height. That’s a significant lowering of the waves, giving quite some protection to the coast line behind the mangrove forest.