Mangroves as Natural Flood Defenses

This theme focuses on mangroves as effective flood-defense systems. Meñéndez et al.

Demonstrated that mangroves significantly reduce global flood damages and population exposure,

especially in low-lying coastal areas. Montgomery et al. emphasized that flood protection

depends not only on mangrove density but also on channelization, as tidal channels strongly influence

water flow and inundation patterns. Lastly, Van Hespen et al.demonstrated that 3D-printed

mangrove mimics can be used to test flood-defense performances, although field validation is still required.Overall,

these existing literature supports mangroves as flood-mitigation systems while emphasizing the need for further

applied research.