Indonesia is a nation blessed with plenty of natural resources, based largely on its geography as an archipelago. However, the country is also prone to natural disasters, especially with the looming threat of climate change around the world. Mitigating disasters has become a priority for the people in recent years, as the country grows more vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
According to the World Bank, plants that are found in the coastline and river estuaries, such as mangroves, are considered as “guardians of homes and people's livelihoods,” because of their ability to function as barriers to seawater abrasions and reduce the risk of flooding.
Furthermore, World Bank also reported that Indonesia is home to 3.5 million hectares of mangroves, the equivalent of around 23 percent of all mangroves in the world, with the most diverse mangrove species with 92 true species. Unfortunately, the country also experiences significant mangrove loss annually.
Most of the mangrove losses are driven by land conversion for aquaculture, or to convert plots into palm oil plantation and coastal development for the expansion of urban areas. In response to this, the government has sought to increase mangrove protection by introducing spatial planning, a system for resolving land use conflicts and balancing environmental and economic considerations by designating zones for special uses.
The government has set a target to rehabilitate 600,000 hectares of mangroves, which is also included in the National Recovery Program. The rehabilitation process that spans all provinces across the country will be carried out by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency, under the leadership of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment.
“In 2045, when Indonesia will turn 100 years old, Indonesia will own 30 percent of the marine conservation areas. The target is contained in the government's long-term development plan," noted Dr. Sri Yanti JS, Director of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the National Planning and Development Agency.
Moreover, the government are also encouraging the people of Indonesia and the private sector to join the rehabilitation and ecosystem preservation, as the talk of sustainable practices and social welfare have been treated as a priority for more companies that has a presence in Indonesia.
After all, it has been proven that as a country synonymous with the beauty of its coastal destinations, preserving ecosystems can contribute to economic recovery, especially in the increase of tourism.
The sustainability conversation
While the conversation surrounding sustainability has only come up in recent years, the commitment to combine economic profitability with social and environmental responsibility has always been embedded as one of the promises on which Onduline was built.
A subsidiary of the Kingspan Group, Onduline is the top manufacturer of bituminous roofing sheets in the world and has been used in more than 120 countries. Headquartered in France, its roofing products entered Indonesia in 1977, continued by the launch of PT Onduline® Indonesia in 2004.
Since then, the brand has proven to be a trusted partner in building the country. The company continues to be committed to carrying out social activities through corporate social responsibility (CSR) by carrying out roof renovation and reconstruction at disaster locations, such as at the aftermath of the earthquake in Aceh in 2004, Lombok in 2018 and Palu in 2019.
Open for collaboration
Through their Planet Passionate Communities initiative, Kingspan endeavors to support people and communities around the world while promoting sustainable practices using responsibly sourced materials.
Therefore, Onduline and Kingspan collaborated with Bukalapak, based on the parallel of the values and the expertise they shared regarding the initiative.
The program invited Local Governance, Onduline’s Leaders and Customers to participate on the symbolic plantation of mangrove and she-oaks tree. Planting mangrove & she-oak tree seedlings is carried out as an effort to enrich the biodiversity and protect the coastal ecosystem.
The planting of 1,000 trees
On Jan 23 in Pasuruan, East Java, Onduline, Kingspan and Bukalapak collaborated to plant 150 she-oaks and 850 mangroves locating in the Indonesia’s biggest Mangrove nursery, Nguling Mangrove Forest.
The event, entitled “the Planting of 1,000 Trees,” is a part of Kingspan’s global Planet Passionate Communities initiative. This is as a relay of collaboration done in Indonesia, which shows Kingspan and Onduline’s commitment and efforts to support local communities and commitment.
“We are always excited to work together with various companies, organizations and communities around the world that share the same mission with us on environmental sustainability. Moreover, we are also amazed by how a single fisherman, the late Mr. Mukarim showed his determination to protect his hometown by planting Mangrove seeds and became the starting point of this area”, said Olivier Guilluy, Onduline Asia Pacific director.
“We, from Onduline and Kingspan are proud and honoured to have an opportunity to take part in this event because it is aligned with our Planet Passionate Communities initiatives, which supports the people and communities throughout the globe, including Indonesia, in promoting sustainable practices that are about concepts that involve practices that are harmless to the limited natural resources by using the resources responsibly,” added Rama Krishnan, Director of PT Onduline Manufaktur Indonesia.
By planting she-oaks and mangroves, the companies intend to contribute to environmental preservation and coastal ecosystem recovery in the area, as both trees are able to hold up against soil erosion and improve water quality.
To ensure that their efforts will succeed, the collaborators will also track specific locations of the trees through a geo-tagging process. Through tanamkebaikan.com, the companies will monitor the growth of the trees that have been planted, as well as publish the updates once every semester.
“Our collaboration with Kingspan and Onduline is part of our steps in consistently creating a sustainable impact for as many people as possible on various aspects, including the environment. This initiative also represents our commitment to supporting the pursuit of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals”, concluded Victor Lesmana, CEO BukaFinancial & Commerce Bukalapak.
