Enviro News Asia, Tarakan — Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable mangrove conservation and wetland management during the national commemoration of World Wetlands Day 2026, held at the Mangrove and Proboscis Monkey Conservation Area (KKMB) in Tarakan, North Kalimantan.
Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia Raja Juli Antoni, accompanied by North Kalimantan Governor Dr. H. Zainal A. Paliwang, along with representatives from central and provincial government agencies, international organizations, and the private sector, attended the event. The commemoration included the signing of a multi-stakeholder commitment to strengthen coordinated action for sustainable mangrove management and rehabilitation across North Kalimantan.
This year’s national observance was centered in North Kalimantan, recognizing the province’s strategic role in safeguarding Indonesia’s extensive wetland ecosystems. The province is home to 326,396 hectares of mangrove forests and 347,451 hectares of peatlands, which function as critical carbon sinks, biodiversity habitats, and natural buffers against coastal erosion and extreme weather events. These wetlands also play a vital role in supporting local livelihoods, food security, and Indonesia’s national climate commitments.
Minister Raja Juli Antoni emphasized the multidimensional value of wetlands, noting that they are not merely waterlogged areas but ecosystems with high biodiversity, strong economic potential, and significant carbon sequestration capacity.
The Minister also witnessed the signing of a collaborative declaration involving the Ministry of Forestry, the Government of North Kalimantan Province, development partners from the Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) Program, Forest Programme VI, and NASCLIM, represented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), as well as private sector partners PT Pertamina EP Tarakan Field and PT Mustika Minanusa Aurora Tbk.
Under the Ministry of Forestry’s coordination, the M4CR and NASCLIM programs work with local governments and coastal communities to restore degraded mangrove ecosystems through methods such as replanting and assisted natural regeneration, while simultaneously strengthening the economic resilience of coastal communities. The partners agreed on the need for an integrated collaborative framework that combines government policy, community participation, climate finance, and corporate responsibility.
In her report, Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, Dyah Murtiningsih, highlighted the global theme of World Wetlands Day 2026, which underscores the importance of traditional knowledge passed down through generations in conserving wetlands, as well as Indonesia’s leadership in wetland management.
The event concluded with a site visit to the KKMB Tarakan area, where the Minister observed proboscis monkeys and reviewed ongoing local conservation initiatives. The visit underscored KKMB’s role as a living laboratory for education, research, and community engagement in wetland conservation.
