Indonesia's mangroves gain global spotlight for climate role

Tanjung Selor, Kaltara (ANTARA) - Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Forestry's Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, Nikolas Nugroho Surjobasuindro, said that Indonesia's mangrove ecosystem has drawn the attention of both the government and the international community.

"Mangrove ecosystem areas have become important and are now receiving attention from the Indonesian government and the world," he said during the Kick-Off Meeting and 6th Forest Programme (FP) Dissemination in Tanjung Selor, North Kalimantan, on Tuesday (June 30).

According to Nikolas, mangrove ecosystems have become a major concern due to the threat of climate change, one of whose impacts is rising sea levels. As an archipelagic country, Indonesia faces various risks from sea level rise, he said.

"Sea level rise could submerge several small islands or reduce land area. Therefore, the existence of mangroves has become increasingly important for Indonesia," he said.

Nikolas said the Ministry of Defense had informed the Ministry of Forestry in several previous meetings in Jakarta that mangroves play an essential role in maintaining the sovereignty of national borders.

"The mangrove is important because sea level rise, waves, and abrasion pose a very significant threat to Indonesia's outermost islands, which have long served as the country's border markers," he said.

He added if land areas that serve as national borders are shrink, the consequences would extend beyond territorial sovereignty to affect Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, whose boundaries are generally measured from the country's outermost coastline.

"This is why mangroves are important not only in North Kalimantan, but throughout Indonesia. We also need to realize that Indonesia has the largest mangrove area in the world, covering 3.4 million hectares, or 23 percent of the world's total mangrove area," Nikolas said.

He noted that Indonesia's vast mangrove resources have attracted strong international interest, with many countries supporting mangrove conservation efforts and looking to Indonesia as a model for mangrove rehabilitation and sustainable management.

"Many countries have visited Indonesia to learn how mangroves can be managed based on local wisdom," he said.

According to Nikolas, Indonesia possesses hundreds of forms of local wisdom related to traditional mangrove management, with practices varying across regions. Mangrove management approaches can even differ between villages within the same district or administrative area, reflecting the country's rich cultural diversity, he added.

"This is part of Indonesia's invaluable heritage that we must protect and promote to the international community, demonstrating that Indonesia can preserve local wisdom while maintaining a strong commitment to protecting its mangrove ecosystems," he said.

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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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