Indonesia holds a global responsibility with 3.44 million hectares of mangroves, home to the largest mangrove area on Earth. The country sits at the heart of efforts to address climate resilience, biodiversity loss and coastal livelihoods.
Read: SIGAP Empowering Forest Villages
These ecosystems are natural protectors, absorbing wave energy, capturing carbon and serving as nurseries for fisheries that feed millions. In recent years, community-based conservation has been promoted as a practical model to involve local communities in managing these critical coastal landscapes, and it works.
Communities are often the first to notice environmental changes, respond to local threats and are most invested in the future of their ecosystems. However, as the scale and complexity of mangrove restoration grow, sustainability becomes key.
Ensuring long-term impact, community resilience and ecological functionality must prioritize over short-term, project-oriented scenarios that often fade once funding ends or external actors withdraw. To achieve that, Indonesia must shift from community-based participation to community-owned conservation.
Read more: thejakartapost.com
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