Adolfo Salume Gets Behind The Save The Mangroves Initiative
One in six mangrove species around the world are threatened with extinction, mostly because of climate change, coastal development, logging and agriculture. At present, 11 out of 70 known mangrove species are on the IUCN Red List. One of the regions that’s been very affected by this issue is Central America. Roughly 40 percent of the mangrove species in the world are to be found on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central America. Without urgent action, the mangroves of the coastal regions will die, a catastrophe that will have a devastating impact on the human communities in the area, not to mention the marine life threatened with extinction.
Adolfo SalumeArtinano, the well-known Salvadoran businessman and environmental campaigner is determined not to let this happen.
Mangroves forests matter
The beautiful mangrove forests are vital to the communities living in coastal areas. These forests protect them from damage caused by erosion, storms, and tsunami waves, always a big concern in an area prone to devastating earthquakes. Mangrove forests also serve as a nursery for fish and other marine species, and many locals depend on these to earn their livelihood.
Saving the coastal mangrove forests is essential as they have an unparalleled ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and serve as both a source and repository for nutrients and sediments for other inshore marine habitats, such as seagrass beds and coral reefs.
Mangrove forests grow in tropical and subtropical regions, in the areas where saltwater meets the shore. They play a unique role, serving as an interface between terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems.
Mangrove forests, key weapon in the war on climate change
Many experts are focusing their efforts on saving mangroves, which have the capacity to store three to four times more carbon than most of the forests on the planet. While the international community is looking for technological ways to deal with carbon emissions, the sprawling mangrove forests of Central America are the natural solution.
Unfortunately, the area covered by mangrove forests in the region fell by 20% between 2001-2018. The protection and restoration of existing “blue carbon” ecosystems such as mangroves, together with the seagrass beds they shelter, has been identified as an important tool to counter global warming.
Environmental campaigner Adolfo Salume joins the war on climate change
Many people know Adolfo SalumeArtinano was one of the most influential businessmen in El Salvador. For the local community, however, he is mostly known for his efforts to protect the environment in his native country, as well as throughout Central America. Salume has launched three non-profit organizations dedicated wholly to environmental issues and combating global warming. Chief among his preoccupations are fighting against deforestation and combating pollution in every form. The organizations work with volunteers involved in clean-up operations and they also teach the local communities how to take care of their environment.
Not only that. Salume’s business ventures have strong environmental policies and promote ecological products and technologies. All the companies are moving into carbon-neutral technologies, with the goal of achieving zero-carbon in the near future.
