Enviro News Asia, Luang Prabang – Indonesia invites ASEAN countries to strengthen collaboration in the management and rehabilitation of mangrove ecosystems through the World Mangrove Center (WMC) initiative.
This platform is expected to become an international hub for the exchange of data, knowledge, and science-based innovations to protect mangroves, which are an important buffer for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation, Dr. Ristianto Pribadi, at the 28th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) in Luang Prabang, Laos, Friday (8 August 2025), said that Indonesia holds a strategic position as it is home to 23 percent of the world’s mangrove ecosystems, or around 3.44 million hectares.
“The World Mangrove Center will become a global collaboration hub, building evidence-based solutions, as well as encouraging awareness and concrete actions to maintain the sustainability of mangrove ecosystems,” he said.
Since 2021, Indonesia has rehabilitated more than 84,000 hectares of mangroves and targets an additional 30,000 hectares within the next two years.
This management model includes information centers, nurseries, research, and even ecotourism such as in Bali, and will be integrated into the World Mangrove Center.
The Secretariat of the World Mangrove Center will be located in Bali, with the support of Germany’s KfW and JICA. The concept involves various mangrove centers in regions and ASEAN countries, each with unique characteristics, connected within a network for sharing data, best practices, and capacity building.
This initiative is also aimed at establishing science-based mangrove management standards, developing international references for restoration and rehabilitation, encouraging cross-country dialogue, and strengthening the ASEAN Mangrove Network (AMNet) to become part of the World Mangrove Center.
The World Mangrove Center was first launched by the President of the Republic of Indonesia in 2022 and promoted at the Indonesia Pavilion at COP27 UNFCCC in Egypt.
It was then introduced at various international forums, including UNEA-6, ASOF-27, and bilateral meetings with several countries and international organizations.
Ristianto invited all ASEAN member states, Timor Leste, and China to join. “With the spirit of One Vision, One Identity, One Community, let us unite for mangroves and unite for the future,” he concluded. (*)
