Bachtiar's pond has been managed by generations and has been a source of livelihood for the family for over 20 years. However, entering its 15th year, the pond's condition began to decline due to soil nutrient loss, an unstable water cycle and increasing disease infestations in farmed shrimp and fish. During high waves, the pond embankments were often damaged, resulting in crop losses.

In order to sustain the productivity, he cultivates a mangrove rehabilitation using a silvofishery approach, integrating the pond cultivation with mangrove planting, both along the embankments and within the pond plots. They planted various mangrove species, including rhizophora, avicennia, sonneratia, bruguiera and even nipah palm. The success eventually led Bachtiar to commit his group to the Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) program, introducing a silvofishery approach to the community in 2024.

"Previously, without mangroves, harvests were unstable, the soil was damaged, and fish were susceptible to disease. With silvofishery, everything is more under control. Shrimp can still get sick, but not as badly as before," said Bachtiar. "I don't want a repeat of the past. This pond can't survive without mangroves."

Bachtiar revealed that his pond can now produce 80 to 100 kilograms of shrimp and fish per hectare, approaching its highest productivity levels in the past. Furthermore, operational costs remain low, around Rp 2 million per hectare for a single management season. This can be attributed to mangrove’s abilities to stabilize water temperature, provide natural food through leaf litter and improve soil quality. Moreover, the silvofishery approach also strengthens the pond's resilience to high tides and abrasion.

However, some challenges remained. Shrimp diseases still occasionally emerge, making continued mentoring crucial. To address this need, the team collaborates with universities through field school activities to improve the technical capacity of shrimp farmers in environmentally friendly management.

"We ensure that mangrove ecosystem restoration must go hand in hand with improving community welfare. We must ensure the suitability of plant species, seed quality and hydrological conditions at each location, while still considering social conditions. Integrating rehabilitation with silvofishery systems and educating the public about the importance of maintaining mangrove ecosystems remains a primary focus so that ecological, economic and social benefits can coexist," Akhmad Ashar Sarif, manager of the M4CR Program for North Kalimantan stated.

Throughout 2024, North Kalimantan successfully rehabilitated 6,543 hectares of mangrove ecosystems. The planting activities actively involved local communities through livelihood field schools attended by 47 community groups, and were further supported by nine matching-grant packages to strengthen local economic development.

The M4CR program demonstrates the Forestry Ministry's commitment to accelerating mangrove rehabilitation with supported by the World Bank. Initiated in 2024, this program is implemented in four provinces: Riau, North Sumatra, East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan and encompasses 13,000 ha. The program continues to accelerate, with a target of 41,000 ha by 2027.

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