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ndonesian researchers and environmentalists are set to look for ways to mainstream the blue carbon issue at the national level as a way to mitigate climate change in the country and beyond.

They have gathered at the international scientific conference Blue Carbon Summit held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta. The summit was organized by the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

The summit is intended to become a place for dialogue between representatives of relevant institutions who share concerns over the blue carbon issue. The summit is the first international scientific conference focusing on blue carbon to be initiated by the AIPI.

The main focus of the event was blue carbon, a term which is increasingly gaining attention in the science community, as well as among business actors and civil societies globally. The term refers to the carbon captured and stored in oceans and coastal ecosystems.

“The extensive discussion is expected to identify things that have hindered the mainstreaming of blue carbon at the national level and as a global commitment, as well as paving the way for blue carbon development in Indonesia,” AIPI president Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro said in his opening remarks on Tuesday.

He added that the dialogue was also expected to pave the way for a strategic partnership to sustainably develop Indonesia’s marine and maritime potential, as the environment and biodiversity were among the academy’s concerns.

Blue carbon also includes coastal carbon stored in tidal wetlands, such as seagrass meadows and mangrove forests, which are carbon-rich ecosystems that can hold up to three times as much carbon per hectare as their terrestrial counterparts. Such characteristics make wetlands a potential site to mitigate climate change globally.

Satryo added that Indonesia had the potential to play a significant role in mitigating climate change by optimizing blue carbon, thanks to the country’s extensive coastline boasting mangrove forests and seagrass meadows, which spans around 99,000 kilometers, according to the Indonesian Geospatial Information Agency.

“[Wetlands also] provide significant economic advantages through fisheries and aquaculture,” he said.

However, these ecosystems are facing destruction. CIFOR director general Robert Nasi said the world had lost about half of its mangrove forests and seagrass meadows since the early 20th century.

This echoed a study from the Indonesian Sciences Institute (LIPI) in June last year, which stated seagrass meadows in Indonesian shallow seas were in poor condition, with only 5 percent of the meadows in 423 locations across the country — mostly in the eastern part of Indonesia — remaining in excellent condition.

“If we don’t do something about it, the sea level rise by 2050 will cause economic losses amounting to trillions of dollars. It’s a significant amount of the world’s GDP,” Nasi said.

Such a situation has led countries, especially Indonesia, to pay more attention to blue carbon protection and restoration.

“Regulations must be improved to bring all stakeholders together as well as fostering bilateral cooperation,” Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund’s Tonny Wagey said in a session.

On the first day of the summit, environmentalists claimed they had yet to see a bold commitment from government officials or politicians in harnessing blue carbon at the national level.