Enviro News Asia, Surabaya – Regional cooperation to protect and manage mangrove ecosystems sustainably among ASEAN countries is crucial and must continue to be reinforced.
The region holds approximately 34 to 42 percent of the world’s total mangrove forests.
Dyah Murtiningsih, Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation at Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, stated that the ASEAN Mangrove Network (AMNET), supported by the Government of Japan, promotes cross-border collaboration in mangrove conservation, which plays a vital role in climate change mitigation and improving the welfare of coastal communities.
“AMNET is a symbol of regional leadership in mangrove management that is not only ecologically important but also impacts social, economic, and environmental diplomacy,” said Dyah during the opening of the final workshop of the “Mangrove Ecosystem Management in ASEAN Region” project in Surabaya on Tuesday (June 25, 2025).
Dyah explained that ASEAN member states have established a mangrove management cooperation network through AMNET since 2014.
“This program has developed various initiatives, including data-based best practices, regional strategies, and local community empowerment,” she added.
The “Mangrove Ecosystem Management in ASEAN Region” project has been running since 2023 and is funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
Several achievements have been made, including strengthening integrated information systems, developing pilot sites in Indonesia, and producing 17 guidelines for sustainable mangrove management applicable across the region.
Yosuke Kawamoto, First Secretary of the Mission of Japan to ASEAN, stated that Japan is committed to supporting forestry cooperation under the ASEAN-Japan Midori Cooperation Plan.
“We hope the guidelines developed through this project can be used to promote mangrove conservation and sustainable agriculture, not only in ASEAN but also globally,” he said.
Kawamoto added that Japan’s experience in mangrove management, including environmentally friendly cultivation practices such as silvofishery, has been shared through this project and has become part of the joint learning process between ASEAN and Japan.
Both Indonesia and Japan emphasized that involving local communities is key to inclusive and sustainable mangrove management, while also serving as a solution to reduce potential social conflicts over natural resources.
The workshop marked the end of the first phase of the “Mangrove Ecosystem Management in ASEAN Region” project, but participants expressed hope that regional cooperation will continue to be strengthened to safeguard mangrove ecosystems vital to the region’s environmental and economic resilience.
Present at the event were several mangrove experts such as Prof. Cecep Kusmana from IPB University, Prof. Bambang Widiyanto (IPB), Prof. Hadi S. Alikodra, mangrove expert from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Noriaki Sakaguchi, PhD, representatives from ASEAN countries, and Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Forestry, Ristianto Pribadi. (*)
