Bàu Cá Cái mangrove forest in Quảng Ngãi Province, Vietnam

© Robert Harding World Imagery/Offse

A floating forest. How Quảng Ngãi got its grove back

Could these humble rows of trees prevent a natural disaster? The Vietnamese government hopes so. Mangrove forests like Bàu Cá Cái in coastal Vietnam's Quảng Ngãi Province are an important shield against destructive typhoons that rock the coast each year. Any tree supported by salt water can be called a mangrove. They usually stand above the water on a dense tangle of roots and are found along shores, rivers and estuaries of tropical and subtropical countries.

Unfortunately, mangrove trees have been depleted over the years by population growth, climate change and increased use of waters for fish farming. Planting trees at Bàu Cá Cái - outlined by bamboo frames to create the neat patterns seen here – is part of a push to regenerate nearly 10,000 acres of mangrove forest around the country.