Flamingos in the mangroves of Dubai

Healthy natural coastal ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, saltwater marshlands and seagrass meadows provide a vast array of important co-benefits to coastal communities around the world, including throughout the Arabian Peninsula. These benefits include ecosystem services such as a rich cultural heritage, the protection of shorelines from storms, erosion or sea-level rise, food from fisheries, maintenance of water quality, and landscape beauty for recreation and ecotourism.