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Indonesia nets more than 50,000 hectares of new mangrove forests
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo plants mangroves with the community at Raja Kecik Beach, Bengkalis regency, Riau, on Sept. 28.
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ndonesia, home to about a fifth of the world’s mangrove forests, has gained more than 50,000 hectares of mangroves, according to the latest edition of its national mangrove map, as the government counts on the forestry sector, including mangroves, to contribute to its carbon-emission reduction goals.
The mangrove forests, which usually grow in intertidal areas in tropical and subtropical countries, play a vital role in providing a natural buffer against coastal erosion caused by the sea or winds.
The government utilized satellite imaging and on-the-ground verification in several sample sites to update the map, which revealed that the country’s mangrove forest area has grown from 3.31 million ha in 2019 to 3.36 million ha in 2021, netting an additional 52,873 ha.
The condition of the mangrove forests varies, however. About 3.1 million ha of mangroves are in good condition, which is defined as dense areas with over 70 percent of tree coverage, while 242,000 ha of mangrove zones have less than 70 percent tree coverage.
The Environment and Forestry Ministry's watershed control and protected forest management acting director general, Helmi Basalamah, said during the launch of the updated national map on Oct. 13 that the data indicated “positive progress” in the country’s conservation efforts.
Speaking in the same event, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the updated map would be used as a reference for nationwide “rehabilitation, conservation and monitoring of mangroves”.
He also underlined the government’s “serious” commitment to restoring mangrove forests across the country as it aims to rehabilitate a total of 600,000 ha of mangrove forests by 2024.
