Mangrove forests are among the most productive ecosystems with important services such as food and livelihood provisions, recreations, and regulations (e.g., coastal protection) in local scales. At global scale, they are gaining salience for their carbon sequestration capacities, currently conceptualized as “blue carbon.” However, their essential benefits are reduced or lost when degraded. There is, therefore, a need to explore long-term mangrove cover change (MCC) and its underpinning drivers to develop sustainable management strategies. MCC has been analyzed extensively, including satellite images and field surveys, with drivers of changes frequently embedded in local contexts. Thus, in this study, MCC and the causal factors are evaluated at the local scale by gathering community perceptions in Eastern Samar, a typhoon-prone province in the Philippines, with a timeframe since the 1970s until the present. Results show that mangrove cover loss was observed following the occurrence of Typhoon Agnes in 1984 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 while conversion of mangrove areas to residential spaces was identified as a recurring driver of mangrove depletion from the early 1970s to 1990s. Study participants perceived that natural threats and lack of law enforcement were the leading proximate and underlying drivers of degradation, respectively. Respondents perceived that mangrove cover is increasing mainly due to successive reforestation programs coupled with stricter implementation of local ordinances in the sites. The results indicate the increased role of mangrove forests in disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation strategies, while the perceptions of drivers change in long terms.

红树林是生产力最高的生态系统之一，在当地范围内提供食物和生计供应、娱乐和法规（例如海岸保护）等重要服务。在全球范围内，它们的碳封存能力越来越突出，目前被概念化为“蓝碳”。然而，当它们退化时，它们的基本益处就会减少或丧失。因此，有必要探索长期红树林覆盖变化（MCC）及其基础驱动因素，以制定可持续管理战略。MCC 经过广泛分析，包括卫星图像和实地调查，变化的驱动因素经常嵌入当地环境中。因此，在本研究中，通过收集菲律宾台风多发省份东萨马省的社区看法，从 20 世纪 70 年代至今，对 MCC 及其因果因素进行了当地规模的评估。结果显示，1984 年台风艾格尼丝和 2013 年台风海燕发生后，红树林覆盖面积出现损失，而红树林地区向住宅区的转变被认为是 1970 年代初至 1990 年代红树林枯竭的反复驱动因素。研究参与者认为，自然威胁和缺乏执法分别是退化的主要直接驱动因素和潜在驱动因素。受访者认为，红树林覆盖率的增加主要是由于连续的重新造林计划以及当地法规的更严格执行。结果表明，红树林在减少灾害风险和减缓气候变化战略中的作用日益增强，而从长远来看，驱动因素的看法正在发生变化。