U.N. says preserving coral reefs, mangroves worth the money
January 25, 2006Coral reefs and mangroves, many of which are concentrated in Southeast Asia, provide natural protection against natural disasters and are essential to many local economies, providing a strong economic case for their conservation, said a new report released Tuesday by the United Nations. ''Day in and day out and across the oceans and seas of the world, nature is working to generate incomes and livelihoods for millions if not billions of people,'' U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said in a statement.