BY LORETTA B MANELE

In the Pacific Ocean, lies gardens of seagrass and they play a critical role of trapping and storing carbon at rates of up to 35 times more than that of tropical rainforests making them a frontliner in protection from climate change.

In a press statement from Pacific GIS and Remote Sensing Council (PGRSC) on Sunday, December 28, 2025, Raphael Linzatti, GIZ Pacific Project Director said both seagrass and mangroves need to be preserved and protected.

“They trap carbon, stabilise shores, filter pollutants, protect coral reefs, and provide nursery habitats for fish and other marine life that sustain food security and livelihoods in Pacific nations,” he said.

Mr Linzatti and his colleague, GIZ Technical Officer, Mr Shyam Lodhia, have been working with communities in Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to raise awareness of the importance of seagrass and mangrove resources as part of the MACBLUE (Management and Conservation of Blue Carbon Ecosystems) project.

The statement also said the project combined local knowledge with GIS (geographic information systems) and satellite imagery to map seagrass and mangrove resources in the four participating nations.

These maps were then presented by Lodhia at the recent Pacific Islands GIS and Remote Sensing User Conference in Suva.

The project also used the open-source, Digital Earth Pacific platform, developed by the Pacific Community (SPC), where the seagrass and mangrove maps can be freely accessed.

Mr Linzatti said while the project has strengthened partnerships amongst governments and regional stakeholders to improve coastal ecosystem management and climate resilience, community stewardship is key to protecting these ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems, which play such a significant role in the lives of Pacific Island communities.

The MACBLUE project was funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented through the joint partnership between GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), SPREP (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment), and SPC.

Photo: PGRSC

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