A Declining Mangrove Ecosystem over the past few decades, Indonesia has been experiencing significant mangrove loss, ranging from 20,000 to 52,000 hectares per year. Currently, the annual loss rate is estimated between 0.27% and 2%.
PELAKITA.ID – In a recent session of the Marine Science Alumni Knowledge Sharing class, organized by Pelakita.ID in collaboration with the Association of Marine Science Graduates of Hasanuddin University, Yusran Nurdin Massa, an alumnus from the class of 1997 and an expert in community-based sustainable mangrove management, shared his insights on the challenges and opportunities for mangrove conservation.
A Key Role in Climate Mitigation
Mangroves play a vital role in climate change mitigation. According to Yusran, merely halting the degradation of mangrove ecosystems could contribute up to 12% of Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target.
Mangroves act as significant carbon sinks, storing vast amounts of carbon in their biomass and soil. The destruction of these ecosystems has already resulted in the release of approximately 190 million tons of CO2 equivalents into the atmosphere.
This emission is comparable to the total emissions produced if all vehicles in Indonesia were to circle the Earth twice (modified from CIFOR, 2015).
Beyond their environmental significance, mangroves also hold substantial economic value. With the right strategies, their financial potential can be optimized through sustainable resource management, including timber use, non-timber forest products (NTFPs), and environmental services.
Causes of Mangrove Degradation
Indonesia has lost approximately 52,000 hectares of mangrove forests per year over the past three decades—an area equivalent to the size of New York City.
The current rate of loss remains alarming, ranging from 0.27% to 2% annually. Several factors contribute to this degradation, including the expansion of aquaculture, illegal logging, unsustainable tourism, coastal development, and the conversion of land for palm oil plantations.
Yusran also highlighted ongoing disputes in Makassar and Maros, where urban development plans conflict with the need to protect water catchment areas, emphasizing the importance of collective attention and action.
Mangrove Restoration and Recovery Efforts
Halting mangrove conversion could help Indonesia achieve one-fourth of its national commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 29% by 2030. This reduction is equivalent to removing 4 million vehicles from the roads (modified from CIFOR, 2015).
To address mangrove degradation, Yusran emphasized the need for concrete actions, including law enforcement, eliminating threats to mangrove ecosystems, and rehabilitating damaged areas. Public awareness, capacity-building for mangrove management, and the development of local policies, such as village regulations supporting mangrove conservation, are also crucial.
Moreover, ensuring sustainable utilization of mangrove resources—through responsible timber harvesting, NTFP management, and environmental services—is essential. Community involvement in forest protection is another key factor in maintaining these ecosystems.
Global and National Initiatives for Mangrove Rehabilitation
Several global initiatives have been launched to reverse the trend of mangrove loss. These include the Mangrove Forest Landscape Rehabilitation (MFLR) approach, recommended by conservation organizations (Lewis et al., 2009; IUCN, 2017; Worthington & Spalding, 2018), and the Global Mangrove Alliance, which aims to increase global mangrove coverage by 20% (approximately 3 million hectares) by 2030.
Additionally, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) further underscores the importance of restoring critical ecosystems like mangroves.
At the national level, Indonesia has implemented various policies, including Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Regulation No. 14/2017, which sets a target of rehabilitating 1.82 million hectares of mangroves by 2045.
The National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024 prioritizes the rehabilitation of 50,000 hectares per year, while the National Mangrove Rehabilitation Acceleration Movement (Presidential Regulation 120/2020) aims to restore 637,000 hectares across nine provinces between 2021 and 2024, with an initial target of 150,000 hectares in 2021.
Challenges in Mangrove Rehabilitation
Despite these efforts, studies indicate that approximately 90% of global mangrove rehabilitation initiatives have yet to achieve their intended goals (Lewis et al., 2016). One of the primary reasons for failure is the selection of unsuitable restoration sites due to inadequate feasibility assessments.
Additional challenges include land ownership conflicts, the repurposing of rehabilitated areas for other uses, and improper planting techniques.
Many reforestation efforts occur in muddy areas unsuitable for mangrove growth, while a lack of understanding at the practitioner and field implementation levels further hampers success.
Recommendations for Effective Mangrove Management
To ensure the success of mangrove rehabilitation, Yusran suggested a broader identification of potential restoration sites, with a strong emphasis on ecological feasibility. According to PMN 2023, key areas for rehabilitation include abandoned aquaculture ponds, degraded mangrove areas, and newly accreted lands.
Mangrove density also plays a crucial role in restoration efforts. The current estimates of mangrove coverage in Indonesia are as follows: Sparse mangrove (0-30%): 70,209 ha, Moderate mangrove (30-70%): 155,716 ha and Dense mangrove (70-90%): 3,216,689 ha
Among the recommended rehabilitation approaches are Ecological Mangrove Rehabilitation (EMR), which prioritizes hydrological restoration, and Integrated Mangrove-Aquaculture, which promotes sustainable aquaculture while maintaining the integrity of mangrove ecosystems.
The recommencations are:
To enhance mangrove management in Indonesia, comprehensive strategic steps must be taken, including a moratorium on mangrove conversion to prevent further land-use change, and Improving governance of conservation areas and buffer zones to support both preservation and sustainable traditional use.
Developing integrated rehabilitation models, such as the mosaic landscape mangrove-aquaculture approach, which balances conservation with economic benefits.
Enhancing planning and implementation of rehabilitation efforts to reduce failure rates. Promoting sustainable aquaculture to limit further land expansion. Fostering mangrove-based livelihoods to improve the well-being of coastal communities.
Strengthening policy support, institutional frameworks, and community-based management facilitation Implementing payment-for-ecosystem services (PES) and REDD+ schemes as financial incentives for mangrove conservation.
Incorporating mangrove protection into Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for emissions reduction, recognizing their crucial role in climate mitigation.
Through these comprehensive efforts, Yusran emphasized, Indonesia can safeguard its mangrove ecosystems, ensuring ecological sustainability while providing economic and social benefits for future generations.
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