Not Just Planting, Belitung Ready to Implement Community Based Ecology Mangrove Restoration

The Belitung Regency Government, together with Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), held a “Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration Training” for mangrove stakeholders from the regency level to several villages on Belitung Island. The three-day training (7–9 April 2026) involved community representatives from the villages of Sungai Padang, Gantung, and Dendang, with sessions held at two locations: Tanjung Pandan for material briefings and Sungai Padang for practical training. The program aimed to enhance participants’ understanding and capacity to implement sustainable, appropriate mangrove ecosystem restoration.

The Bangka Belitung Islands Province has around 66,000 hectares of mangrove forest, most of which is still in good condition. However, over the past few decades, human activities have caused more than 10,000 hectares of mangroves to disappear.

Therefore, YKAN supports provincial and regency governments in implementing sustainable mangrove restoration. This includes the Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) approach, which was the primary focus of the training. This method highlights that mangrove restoration is not just a “plant-and-leave” activity.

According to the Global Mangrove Alliance, most projects that focus solely on planting experience failure rates of up to 80%. Therefore, local community capacity must be enhanced, and they should be involved from the very beginning—identifying problems, planning, leading activities, and making decisions.

Belitung Regency Regional Secretary Marzuki appreciated the initiative. “This training is important because it prioritises a community-based approach. This means the community is not only an object but also the main subject in protecting and maintaining the mangrove ecosystem. With active community participation, we hope this restoration effort will be sustainable and bring economic, social, and environmental benefits,” he said in his remarks.

The training emphasised a structured approach to mangrove restoration, including the role of local communities; ecological understanding; planning; implementation; and monitoring and evaluation of restoration results. The materials covered included mangrove biology, CBEMR principles, hydrological repair, restoration site analysis, biophysical assessment, causes of restoration failure, monitoring and maintenance, and stakeholder mapping, as well as often-overlooked aspects such as occupational safety and health (K3) and wildlife handling.

Participants were enthusiastic about this new approach and planned to adopt it in future mangrove rehabilitation activities. “At first, we thought mangrove rehabilitation was just about planting. But during the training, we were taught that restoration is not to be done carelessly,” said Rahul, a participant representing the Gantung village community group. “Failure doesn’t just mean failing to plant, but failing to understand the situation,” he added. He now understands how to identify and address mangrove environmental disturbances without necessarily planting new trees. 

YKAN Blue Carbon Program Manager Aji Wahyu Anggoro added, “The CBEMR approach aims to foster a sense of belonging while focusing on ecosystem recovery rather than solely on planting. When the environment recovers, mangrove forests are expected to regenerate naturally.”

This activity on Belitung Island is part of a series of training sessions for stakeholders in the Bangka Belitung province. The next session will be held on Bangka Island in June 2026. Emphasizing collaboration at the provincial, regency, and village levels, this initiative aims to create a sustainable impact on mangrove conservation. The knowledge gained and data collected will form the basis for developing adaptive, replicable, and sustainable mangrove restoration plans for communities in the Bangka Belitung Islands.