Enviro News Asia, Denpasar – The Indonesian government and the Indonesian Forestry Concession Holders Association (APHI) reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening sustainable mangrove management during the 2026 World Mangrove Day commemoration, highlighting cross-sector collaboration to restore coastal ecosystems while improving the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The event, themed “Protecting Mangroves, Securing Future Generations,” was held in Bali on Sunday with mangrove planting activities at Batu Lumbang Mangrove Ecotourism and the main ceremony at Wantilan Hall in Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park.
The event was attended by Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency Moh Jumhur Hidayat, Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Bali Governor Wayan Koster, APHI Chairman Soewarso, and other stakeholders.
Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said Indonesia’s vast mangrove resources represent both a national asset and a responsibility to lead global sustainable mangrove management. He noted that protecting mangroves is essential for safeguarding biodiversity, coastal communities, and future generations.
Rohmat said the Ministry of Forestry, together with its partners, had rehabilitated 91,678 hectares of mangroves by the end of 2025. In 2026, the ministry aims to restore more than 17,000 hectares through partnerships with development programs, including Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR), Forest Programme VI, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Nature-based Solutions for Climate-Smart Livelihoods in Mangrove Landscapes (Nasclim).
According to the ministry, mangrove rehabilitation programs have generated employment for 64,386 people, supported the adoption of 63 village regulations on mangrove protection and management, and distributed community business grants totaling Rp16.29 billion, demonstrating both ecological and socio-economic benefits.
Rohmat emphasized that long-term success depends on three key pillars—commitment, collaboration, and innovation—from all stakeholders involved in mangrove conservation.
APHI Chairman Soewarso welcomed the government’s collaborative approach, describing mangroves as a strategic national asset that stores carbon, protects coastlines, and supports local livelihoods.
He stressed that rehabilitation success should not be measured solely by the number of seedlings planted or the size of restored areas, but also by plant survival rates, ecosystem recovery, institutional strengthening, and improved incomes for coastal communities.
Soewarso added that the forestry sector can contribute through seedling production, planting, maintenance, monitoring, technological innovation, community empowerment, and the development of non-timber mangrove products, emphasizing that long-term management is more important than symbolic planting activities.
The 2026 World Mangrove Day program also featured simultaneous nationwide mangrove planting and discussions on mangrove landscape management. APHI expressed hope that the event would strengthen cross-sector partnerships and promote measurable, sustainable mangrove restoration programs that deliver lasting environmental and socio-economic benefits. (*)
