PM Modi plants sapling in Bali as India joins Mangrove Alliance to counter climate change  

India has joined the Mangrove Alliance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the way by planting a sampling of the tree today in Bali, during the second day of the G-20 summit hosted by Indonesia. 

“PM Narendra Modi and other G20 leaders visited a mangrove forest in Bali, giving a strong message of coming together to tackle climate change and boost sustainable development. India has also joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate,” the Prime Minister’s office tweeted.

The Prime Minister’s presence demonstrates India’s commitment to climate action, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

Mangroves are coastal forests which grow in tidal and muddy areas. These forests have multiple varieties of trees and vegetation which are natural barriers against sea level rise as well as in mitigating the effects of cyclones and storms. Mangroves are said to absorb more carbon emissions than regular forests.

“As you know, mangroves are an important refuge of coastal biodiversity and act as bio shields against extreme climatic events and as important carbon sinks. India’s own mangrove cover is significant, with one of the highest biodiversity in the world. We also recently agreed to join the Global Mangrove Alliance, which was launched jointly by Indonesia and UAE,”  Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said ahead of the Prime Minister’s departure.

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