Mangrove Forests in India: Locations, Largest Mangrove and State-Wise Cover

A mangrove forest in India grows where land meets sea: along muddy coasts, river deltas and estuaries that the tide floods every day. India’s biggest mangrove belt is the Sundarbans of West Bengal. Other large stands line the Gulf of Kachchh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna deltas.

Mangroves form one of the five forest groups that make up India’s natural vegetation. To see how they compare with evergreen, deciduous, thorn and mountain forests, start with our hub on types of forests in India. This page stays on the coast. It covers where mangroves grow, which state has the most, how the cover has changed and why these forests matter.

What is a mangrove forest?

ISFR 2023 describes a mangrove as a community of salt-tolerant plants of tropical and subtropical intertidal zones. An intertidal zone is the strip of shore that lies under water at high tide and in the open at low tide. The report says these plant communities occur between about 30° North and 30° South.

FSI calls mangrove species facultative halophytes. A halophyte is a plant that copes with salt. “Facultative” means they can live with seawater but still need fresh water to function. That is why the best mangroves grow where rivers pour fresh water into the sea.

For the general science of mangroves anywhere in the world, see our explainer on mangrove forests, their meaning and features.

Why are mangroves called tidal forests?

Students often meet the phrase tidal forest in exam papers. It is simply another name for a mangrove forest. NOAA notes that the roots of mangroves let the trees handle the daily rise and fall of the sea. Most mangroves get flooded at least twice a day. A forest shaped by tides is easily called a tidal forest.

NCERT’s Class 11 book does not use “tidal forest” as a heading. Its fifth forest group is named Littoral and Swamp Forests. NCERT says mangroves grow “along the coasts in the salt marshes, tidal creeks, mud flats and estuaries”. The book adds that they “consist of a number of salt-tolerant species of plants”. Creeks of stagnant water and tidal flows criss-cross them, and NCERT notes that they “give shelter to a wide variety of birds”.

Mangroves are only one part of that fifth group. Beach forests and freshwater swamps belong to it too. Our page on littoral and swamp forests in India covers the whole group.

Where are mangrove forests found in India?

NCERT says India’s mangroves are “highly developed” in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Sundarbans of West Bengal. It names the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna deltas as other areas of significance.

ISFR 2023 divides the country’s mangrove habitat into three broad regions:

• East coast – the deltas of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, plus Puducherry. The east coast holds 2,845.39 km² of mangrove cover, as per ISFR 2023 Table 3.5.
• West coast – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Together they have 1,538.00 km² (Table 3.6).
• Islands – the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with 608.29 km² (Table 3.7). The report adds that Lakshadweep’s mangrove cover is below measurable limits.

Why does the east coast carry more mangrove? One likely reason is its rivers. Large rivers such as the Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna build wide, muddy deltas on the Bay of Bengal. The west coast has fewer big deltas, so its mangroves sit mainly in creeks, gulfs and estuaries such as the Gulf of Kachchh.

Which is the largest mangrove forest in India?

The Sundarbans in West Bengal is the biggest mangrove forest in India. ISFR 2023 Table 3.4 shows that South 24 Parganas district alone has 2,088.88 km² of mangrove cover. No other district comes close. Kachchh in Gujarat is a distant second at 708.42 km².

The Sundarbans also has wider fame. In a statement published by PIB on 9 December 2023, the Environment Minister called it “the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world”. That ranking applies to the Sundarbans as a whole, not only to the Indian part. The same statement says the Sundarban mangroves are “the only mangrove habitat for tigers worldwide”. The name itself comes from the Sundari tree, Heritiera fomes, according to ISFR 2023.

For its creeks, plants, tigers and people, read our full guide to the Sundarbans mangrove forest.

Which state has the highest mangrove cover in India?

West Bengal has the highest mangrove cover in India. Gujarat is second and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are third. The table below copies the state and union territory figures as printed in ISFR 2023 Table 3.3. “Change” compares each 2023 total with FSI’s revised, raster-based figure for 2021.

Two things stand out in the ISFR 2023 table. First, West Bengal and Gujarat together hold well over half of India’s mangroves. Second, their forests look very different. Nearly half of West Bengal’s cover is very dense, while about 85 per cent of Gujarat’s is open mangrove.

ISFR 2023 sorts mangrove cover into three canopy density classes: very dense, moderately dense and open. Canopy density is how much ground the tree crowns cover when seen from above.

For forest cover of all kinds, state by state, see our page on the largest forest in India and forest cover by state.

How much mangrove cover does India have, and is it growing?

According to ISFR 2023, India’s mangrove cover is 4,991.68 km², or 0.15% of the country’s geographical area. Very dense mangrove makes up 1,463.97 km² (29.33%). Moderately dense mangrove covers 1,500.84 km² (30.07%). Open mangrove is the largest class at 2,026.87 km² (40.60%).

The short-term trend is almost flat. Compared with its revised 2021 assessment, ISFR 2023 reports a net decrease of 7.43 km². Gujarat shows the biggest fall, of 36.39 km². Andhra Pradesh (13.01 km²) and Maharashtra (12.39 km²) show the largest gains. FSI links Andhra Pradesh’s gain mainly to natural regeneration, planting and conservation, noting growth in the Krishna, Bapatla and Kakinada districts.

The longer view is more positive. ISFR 2023 states that mangrove cover rose by 296.33 km² over the decade from 2013 to 2023.

NCERT’s Class 11 book (2026-27 reprint) gives a figure of 4,992 sq km for India’s mangroves. The book does not say which survey it comes from, but the number is almost the same as the ISFR 2023 total.

How do mangroves survive in salty, flooded soil?

Mangrove soil is salty, soft and short of oxygen. NOAA’s estuaries tutorial describes the main ways the trees cope:

• Pneumatophores – many mangroves send up aerial roots that take in oxygen from the air for the buried roots. They poke out of the mud like pegs. ISFR 2023 includes a photograph of them.
• Prop or stilt roots – roots grow out from the trunk and arch into the mud. They help the tree resist tides, waves and storm surges.
• Salt control – some species filter salt out at the roots. Others push salt out through glands on their leaves, leaving visible crystals.
• Seeds that sprout on the tree – the seed starts growing while still on the parent plant. NOAA calls these seedlings propagules. They even grow roots, then drop and float until they reach shallow mud. Biologists call this habit vivipary.

Why are mangrove forests important?

ISFR 2023 explains that mangroves act as a natural barrier along coastlines. NOAA adds that their roots slow tidal water, trap sediment and reduce erosion from storm surges, currents, waves and tides.

They are also living nurseries. NOAA notes that the tangle of roots draws fish and other animals looking for food and shelter. ISFR 2023 states that India has the world’s highest recorded biodiversity within mangrove forests, with 4,107 species. It also ranks India third in mangrove plant diversity, after Indonesia and Australia.

Mangroves store a great deal of carbon too. ISFR 2023 calls them carbon-dense, possibly second only to peat swamps among tropical forests. The report also notes that large rural populations rely on mangroves for livelihoods based on biomass resources.

How is India protecting its mangroves?

NCERT warns that mangrove forests are being encroached upon and need conservation. ISFR 2023 adds rapid coastal development, sea-level rise and frequent disasters to the list of pressures. Its sample maps show patches of mangrove in Andhra Pradesh cleared for aquaculture.

The report describes several state efforts. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu use a fishbone canal-bank planting method. Gujarat uses raised beds. Maharashtra runs a dedicated Mangrove Cell and has named Sonneratia alba its State Mangrove Tree.

At the national level, ISFR 2023 describes MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes). It plans to explore about 540 km² for mangrove development across 11 states and 2 union territories over five years from 2023-24. Its main focus is the Sundarbans delta and the Hooghly estuary, along with other bay areas and wetlands.

Mangroves are one of several wet tropical forest types in India. Inland on the same rainy coasts, you will find the dense rainforests described in our guide to tropical evergreen forests in India.