Indonesia has announced a large-scale mangrove restoration project

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

On October 13, several top Indonesian officials arrived in Jakarta's natural park Angke Kapuk, carefully treading on bamboo walkways perched above the swamp, ready to plant mangrove bushes in preparation for the launch of the 2021 National Mangrove Map.

They clapped before dropping the plants into the river.

Mangrove forests cover more than 3.3 million hectares along Indonesia's coastline.
This makes up nearly a quarter of all mangrove habitats in the planet.

Around 600,000 ha have been harmed as a result of this.
The government set an ambitious goal earlier this year to repair all of the damaged mangroves by 2024.

 

During the October event, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, and Head of the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) Hartono unveiled the national mangrove map, which will serve as a database and reference for mangrove restoration in the country.

Mr Pandjaitan stated, "This one mangrove map is the proper step to continue working to rehabilitate mangroves in accordance with the president's objective."

"We have many experiences from the late 1990s and 2003 on how to turn fish ponds and restore them into mangrove ecosystems," Mdm Bakar remarked, sounding upbeat.

 

While many questioned by CNA stressed the necessity of rebuilding Indonesia's damaged mangroves, they also recognise the numerous hurdles that lie ahead.

The country's success is contingent on the mangroves' ability to regenerate after replanting, as well as finance and public education.

 

WHY MANGROVES MATTER AND WHY THEY ARE DAMAGED

 

Mangroves can absorb up to five times the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by an upland tree.
As a result, they are crucial in the fight against climate change.

Mangroves and the soil beneath them can store up to 89 tonnes of carbon per hectare, according to several studies.
The stored carbon can be traded under carbon emission trading schemes, which are a method of combating climate change by creating a market with restricted emission allowances.

In Indonesia, mangrove trees can reach a height of 50 metres.
They are typically flooded during high tide.
Mangroves, on the other hand, can endure large waves and act as a tsunami barrier, safeguarding residents in coastal areas.

 

They can also be processed for consumption or sale, with the possibility of ecotourism thrown in for good measure.

 

When interviewed by CNA, Ms Khesyia Abigail Makhas, a climate analyst with the non-governmental organisation World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, and her colleague Mr Arief Wijaya, senior manager for climate and ocean issues, said that many mangroves have been damaged due to natural causes or human behaviour.

 

"Naturally, they could be harmed by large waves, such as when sea levels rise, or there are storms that can damage them," Ms Makhas explained.

In addition, Ms Makhas stated that WRI Indonesia has discovered that the development of ponds is the leading cause of mangrove degradation in Indonesia, as mangrove trees must be cut to make space for their construction.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Indonesia has lost 40% of its mangroves in the last 30 years, owing to land conversion for shrimp farms, excessive logging, land conversion to agriculture or salt pans, oil spills, and pollution.

 

Another issue is the accumulation of plastic garbage.
"Mangrove roots are for breathing, and they can't breathe if they're wrapped in plastic," Ms Makhas noted.

Another factor is industrial waste.
"Even though one of the functions of mangroves is to neutralise pollutants," Ms Makhas explained, "they have their limits."

Other causes of mangrove destruction, according to Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Iqbal Damanik, include the creation of towns, plantations, and infrastructure in coastal areas such as reclamation, roads, and ports.