Mangroves are increasingly recognised in the Gulf region for their importance as unique ecosystems, protective coastal buffers and carbon sinks. However, there is a limited focus on how mangroves (referred to collectively as “mangal”) connect with land ecology, especially where they grow alongside cities. Although traditional parks and urban plantings may sit alongside mangroves, these landscapes often do not connect ecologically or visually.
“Back mangal” is a transitional ecotone that lies above the intertidal zone yet remains highly coastal, with elevated salinity levels; it may occasionally flood at extreme high tides. The trees and plants found in this zone, referred to as “mangrove associates,” are generally salt-tolerant, though not necessarily halophytic. Although this ecotone is rare in the Gulf region—more usually, it is salt flats transitioning to land—it can serve as a valuable design tool for creating hybrid ecological transitions into urban areas. Many tree species already used in the region originate from back mangal ecotones, notably those from East Africa, India and Southeast Asia. These should be utilised with design intent.
It is important to emphasise that attempts to alter the natural mangrove ecosystem must be avoided. Modifying the typically monospecific nature of Gulf mangroves, which are primarily dominated by Avicennia marina (grey mangrove), will be unsuccessful. Establishing new mangrove areas can also be challenging, as success depends on various hidden factors, such as the sediment type and availability of freshwater through groundwater seepage. In certain regions of the Red Sea, we do find another species, Rhizophora mucronata (red mangrove), but only in limited quantities, possibly where there is increased fresh groundwater seepage.
One probable reason for the monospecific nature of Gulf mangals is the absence of river estuaries, as no freshwater flows directly into the Red Sea or the Arabian Gulf from Saudi Arabia or the UAE. In other tropical coastlines around the world, rivers deliver substantial volumes of water, which reduces salinity and enhances the diversity of mangrove species.
When urban or tourist developments encroach upon mangroves, conflicts may arise, leading to their removal. A planned ecological transitional zone addresses urban landscape requirements, whilst enhancing ecosystem connections. This provides value and meaning to the existence of mangroves (from a human perspective) and offers a hybrid transition to the mangal biome. Climate change resilience is also increased by utilising adaptive species which can cope with increasingly harsh conditions. In this respect, a low or no irrigation regime should be part of the design intention.
On a recent visit (2024) to La Mer, Dubai, it was interesting to see which plants were surviving on the beach area during redevelopment, as the irrigation had been turned off. Some trees and shrubs were still thriving, and most of those were mangrove associates. Irrigation, it should be noted, often precludes deep rooting, as the trees do not need to seek out water.
Many coastal developments in the UAE, the Red Sea and elsewhere could make meaningful use of this zonal method in the design of space and the choice of planting. In adopting this approach, we should hold several objectives in mind: transitional experience, a distinct visual character and adaptive ecosystem development. The application would depend upon the land use; a wide buffer zone area would look different to a hotel beachfront, though the core principles still apply. There is no reason this could not be as attractive or intentional as any conventional landscape.
A transitional experience is something we feel when moving from one environment to another. It tells us that something has changed, that we’re arriving somewhere new. For a designed back-mangrove zone, we enter a landscape that has a wild feel to it, one that speaks of the mangal, which we begin to glimpse as we move forward.
The visual feel of the place must be derived from the generated environmental character and function. We have to understand what the ecological function of this space is, especially when the back-mangrove biome doesn’t naturally occur in the Middle East. What we would be creating here is a Novel Ecosystem, so what is that, and why would we do it?
A Novel Ecosystem is a community that emerges in a given place from plants that are not native to that region. A Hybrid Ecosystem combines natives and non-natives. We tend to think of these non-natives as invasive species, whereas it is more useful to understand them as adaptive pioneers. Novel and hybrid ecosystems emerge from disturbance, opportunity and climate change. By and large, these factors are human-induced, so we should appreciate that we are the problem, not the plants. Nature moves species around the world as opportunity arises, and humans are just another vector for that movement.
This transitional buffer zone needs ecological relevance, and for that, we look to other mangal regions where back-mangrove communities occur. What is vital is that the plants interact to create a micro-ecology that is unique to that place. This is how we embed Nature Based Solutions (the subject of my LME article in May) into design. It is also important that these plants do not depend on irrigation to survive, something which requires careful consideration in the design and selection process, along with appropriate soil preparation.
Many mangrove associates are known for their soil-binding roots and would help to combat coastal erosion. Their use would be an effective secondary barrier (after the mangrove itself) against sea level rise, as the ground can be graded and even raised over time (suckering root systems can raise themselves when inundated by sand).
Management will affect the habit of these trees and shrubs, and so the ecological outcome. Some species cope with periodic coppicing and shredding, which returns nutrients to the soil via mulch. The resulting regrowth, especially of suckering species, would make dense thickets, ideal for erosion control and for wildlife to thrive, whilst cyclical cutting keeps areas open where needed. I wrote about this concept in a previous LME article (October 2023) as a method of managing urban landscapes.
Given the inevitable effects of climate change and sea level rise, buffer zoning could be a valuable, even vital strategy, preventing flooding in coastal cities in the Gulf region. It is also a viable approach to use where there are no mangroves, or where it is planned to initiate mangroves. If we work with the right species, back-mangrove zones can be a key strategy in both urban design and environmental management, and a meaningful linkage between the natural and city environments.
