Community-Based Management for Sustainable Mangrove Conservation

Abstract Community-based mangrove management (CBMM) blends local stewardship, traditional knowledge, and formal governance to conserve mangrove ecosystems while supporting coastal livelihoods. This narrative review synthesizes empirical studies, reviews, technical guidelines and case reports on CBMM with a special emphasis on socio-economic and environmental integration: tenure & rights, livelihood incentives, benefit-sharing, participatory restoration, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), and governance co-management. Key messages are: (1) CBMM can deliver ecological gains and socio-economic benefits when rights, incentives and local capacities are aligned; (2) insecure tenure, weak benefit distribution, poor technical design and narrow short-term incentives undermine long-term success; (3) blending PES, hybrid engineering (ecological engineering) and inclusive governance strengthens outcomes; and (4) monitoring, transparent institutions and attention to equity (gender, marginal groups) remain under-addressed research and practice needs. Representative examples and policy recommendations are provided to guide practitioners and researchers. Keywords: Community-based mangrove management; co-management; tenure and resource rights; livelihood incentives; benefit-sharing; participatory restoration; Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES); governance integration; social equity; coastal sustainability