Mangroves in India: Where They Grow and Why They Matter

Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs associated with tropical and subtropical coasts. In India, they occur around tidal creeks, estuaries, deltas and islands, from Gujarat and the western coast to the Sundarbans and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are living coastal habitats, with roots, mud, water and wildlife all contributing to how the ecosystem works.

The India State of Forest Report 2023 recorded 4,991.68 square kilometres of mangrove cover. That is an assessment-year figure, not a measurement of India’s coast in October 2026. West Bengal had the largest recorded area, followed by Gujarat and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

How can a tree live where the tide comes in?

The intertidal zone is alternately influenced by land and sea. Waterlogged soils can have little oxygen, salt concentrations vary, and soft sediment makes anchoring difficult. Mangrove species have different adaptations to these conditions. Some have visible prop roots; others have roots that project above the mud. A photograph of one root shape does not describe every mangrove species.

NOAA’s mangrove explainer describes how roots slow tidal water and help suspended sediment settle. The tangled structure also provides shelter and feeding habitat for fish and other organisms. Mangroves therefore depend on a suitable physical setting as well as on the presence of trees.

Look at a mangrove creek at both high and low tide and the same place can appear very different. Exposed mud at low tide is part of the functioning habitat. It is not, by itself, evidence that the site has dried out or needs to be filled with saplings.

Mangrove cover by state and union territory

The table reproduces the ISFR 2023 totals, also reported in a 24 July 2025 parliamentary reply. Units are square kilometres. Reporting-unit names follow the FSI table.

Area helps answer where mangroves occur and how much cover the assessment records. It does not tell us whether every patch has healthy tidal exchange, diverse native species or secure local stewardship. Nor does an increase in mapped cover alone establish that a particular planting programme caused the increase. Those questions need evidence at the relevant site and time.

A journey around India’s mangrove coast

Use this geographic guide to organise the state figures rather than imagining one continuous forest around the country. Mangroves occur in suitable pockets within these broad regions; the guide is not a boundary map.

These regional settings are described in the FSI mangrove chapter. For the Sundarbans, UNESCO identifies the forest as a transboundary ecosystem. Its Indian national park, Bangladesh’s World Heritage property, the whole delta and India’s mapped mangrove cover have different boundaries. Figures for one should not be attached to another.

The Sundarbans is also known for tigers adapted to this tidal landscape. That does not make tiger presence a general test of mangrove health elsewhere. A western-coast creek supports a different local community, and its conservation value does not depend on resembling the Sundarbans.

Why mangroves matter beyond the tree line

Wildlife and livelihoods: sheltered roots and connected waters can support fish, crustaceans and the people who depend on them. A 2025 MoEFCC account of Navghar in Maharashtra describes community mangrove management alongside crab-based livelihoods. It is a specific local account, not proof that the same livelihood model suits every coast.

Coastal protection: vegetation can slow moving water and help stabilise sediment. The amount of protection depends on the forest, water depth, shoreline shape and event. NOAA’s coastal-resilience guidance places mangroves among habitats that can reduce exposure to waves and flooding. They do not eliminate cyclone danger or replace evacuation planning.

Carbon: mangroves hold carbon in living vegetation and soils. NOAA distinguishes carbon storage from sequestration: storage is the amount held, while sequestration describes uptake over time. The carbon already in a mangrove soil is not the amount newly removed each year. Damage can also release stored carbon.

Restoration begins with water and land use

Planting is only one possible intervention. IUCN’s restoration guidance emphasises sediment conditions and the restoration of hydrology. Where tidal connections have been blocked, understanding and repairing water movement may be more important than adding seedlings.

A practical sequence is to establish what caused degradation, assess the site’s elevation and flooding pattern, identify existing habitats and local uses, then decide whether natural regeneration or planting is appropriate. An open mudflat is not automatically a failed mangrove forest. Its history and ecological role need assessment before conversion.

For a hypothetical blocked creek, counting planted saplings would miss the main problem if water still cannot circulate appropriately. A useful follow-up would record tidal access, seedling establishment, survival and the return of suitable habitat conditions. The restoration monitoring guide explains how to connect an intervention with measurable outcomes.

Common questions about mangroves in India

Which state has the most mangroves?

West Bengal had the largest recorded mangrove cover in ISFR 2023: 2,119.16 km². Keep the assessment year with the number when using it in a report or classroom answer.

Are mangroves found only in the Sundarbans?

No. The official table includes western and eastern coastal states, island territories and other coastal reporting units. The Sundarbans is a major mangrove ecosystem, but it represents only part of India’s mangrove geography.

Are mangroves wetlands?

Yes. Mangrove forests are coastal wetlands influenced by tides. Wetlands also include many other habitats, such as freshwater marshes and peatlands. Their water regimes and vegetation can be very different.

Does planting more mangroves always help?

Only where the habitat and social setting make it appropriate. Assess water movement, sediment, existing ecosystems and community use first. Protecting an established forest and removing causes of degradation can be more useful than a planting target alone.

Continue with what wetlands are, ecosystem services and their limits, or the meaning of biodiversity.

Sources checked on 8 October 2026. Cover figures refer to ISFR 2023; illustrative restoration scenarios are not Mynzo project results.