Estuarine Mangrove Squeeze in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Truong, S.H.; Ye, Q., and Stive, M.J.F., 2017. Estuarine mangrove squeeze in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Although the protective role of mangroves for coasts has been increasingly recognized, that of estuarine mangroves is less well acknowledged. The complex root, stem, and canopy system of healthy estuarine mangroves efficiently reduces the impact of a strong, along-bank flow during high tides and high river discharge, protecting the riverbank from eroding. If a sediment source is available, a healthy mangrove forest also offers a higher potential for sedimentation to compensate for sea-level rise. Unfortunately, along the Mekong, Vietnam, estuaries, mangroves have been rapidly destroyed. In many regions, estuarine mangroves have degraded into narrow strips of