Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Indonesia possesses approximately 13.43 million hectares of peatland and 3.45 million hectares of mangroves. The vast extent of these two ecosystems requires integrated, cross-sectoral management. The government is currently preparing for the establishment of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BP-GMN).
Indonesia’s peatlands are distributed across Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Based on data from the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, the national peatland area reaches approximately 13.43 million hectares. Meanwhile, the 2025 National Mangrove Map records Indonesia’s mangrove area at 3,455,628 hectares spread across 37 provinces.
The largest distributions of mangroves are located in South Papua with 622,288 hectares, West Papua with 326,666 hectares, and Central Papua with 305,846 hectares. East Kalimantan holds 239,805 hectares of mangroves, while Riau reaches 230,911 hectares. These figures are cited in the 2025 National Mangrove Map.
The formation of BP-GMN was discussed during a workshop held on October 1–2, 2026, at the Manggala Wanabakti Building Auditorium, Ministry of Forestry, Jakarta. The event engaged relevant ministries and agencies, regional governments, academics, researchers, professionals, and civil society organizations. The workshop served as a follow-up to a meeting between experts and the President during the preceding week.
The Minister of Forestry stated that discussions focused on formulating the mandate and operational orientation of BP-GMN. The organizational structure and working mechanisms of the agency were also addressed to ensure robust authority. The government expects BP-GMN to strengthen coordination among ministries, agencies, and local governments.
Moving forward, the government is preparing a work program and a draft Presidential Regulation to serve as the legal foundation for establishing BP-GMN. The draft will be coordinated with related ministries and agencies through the Minister of State Secretariat. BP-GMN is anticipated to harmonize peatland and mangrove management in a more effective, integrated, and sustainable manner. (*)
