South Asia is tearing down its naturally occurring storm barriers even as New York City mulls multi-billion dollar man-made walls to protect itself from the future storms that are expected to increase with climate change. In the past 50 years, more than 40 per cent of Asia’s mangroves have disappeared to development, landfill or harvested for timber, according to the Kolkata-based Nature, Environment and Wildlife Society. In addition to protecting coastal areas against extreme weather, mangroves protect biodiversity and support local fishing industries.
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