# Mangrove Action Project Enabling Biodiversity 

The age of industrialization has brought colossal damage to Planet Earth. As the war cry for Climate Change gains momentum, the societal destruction and negative externalities associated with the Biodiversity crisis are often overlooked. According to WWF, around a million animal and plant species face extinction, causing natural imbalances within our habitat. The eradication of biodiversity has far overreaching consequences for our ecosystem in the short and long run than what meets the eye. Preservation of natural ecosystems helps sequester carbon footprints; territorial ecosystems store three times the amount of carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere (IUCN), linking climate action and biodiversity. As global urbanization increases to ~50%, humanity quickly loses its touch with mother nature. The social costs associated with loss of the biodiversity-ecosystem are difficult to measurable with IMF estimates of global subsidy from undercharging for energy and its environmental costs in 2017 alone a staggering $5.2 trillion, or 6.5 percent of world GDP. Chat with Alfredo Quarto — Aha moment.

Recently, Nishant Malhotra, Sole Founder of The middle Road platform, interviewed Alfredo Quarto, Program & Policy Director/ Co-founder of Mangrove Action Project (MAP), a thought leader US-based nonprofit enabling social change and impact by conserving and restoring our world’s mangrove forests. Mangrove Action Project is educating coastal communities on many aspects of Mangroves trees significantly one of the positive externalities of attracting bees leading to beehives for processing honey and honey-based products. Mangrove Action Project is educating coastal communities on many aspects of biodiversity, especially Mangroves trees significantly one of the positive externalities of attracting bees leading to beehives for processing honey and honey-based products. Alfredo discusses the importance of preserving and nurturing marine ecosystems, significantly mangroves for society. His chance meeting with a fisherman in Thailand changed his perspective on saving the Mangroves ecosystem by educating the coastal community using the Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) technique. Key insights emerge example Mangroves survive in brackish water, i.e., a mix of sea and freshwater. Alfredo discusses how mangroves help coastal communities through beekeeping and honey harvesting. The honey products increase the income of the coastal communities (refer to Externalities for Social Impact), protect them against hurricanes and tsunamis, and provide an alternative livelihood measure.