Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – The Directorate of Mangrove Rehabilitation under the Ministry of Forestry has intensified efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s coastal resilience by empowering young people through the Mangrove Goes To School (MGTS) program. The Directorate launched the initiative as part of its public communication and environmental education strategy to cultivate awareness, responsibility, and leadership among students in support of sustainable mangrove rehabilitation.
The Directorate implemented the program over the past four months and reached more than 2,000 participants, including university and senior high school students across nine provinces. It organized activities at several universities located near coastal zones and priority watersheds, including Universitas Gadjah Mada, IPB University, Universitas Jambi, Universitas Udayana, Universitas Riau, and Universitas Maritim Raja Ali Haji. The Directorate also extended the program to four senior high schools in coastal areas to instill environmental awareness at an early stage.
Through public lectures, interactive talk shows, thematic discussions, and field practice-sharing sessions, the program provided participants with comprehensive knowledge about mangroves as natural coastal barriers, blue carbon absorbers, biodiversity protectors, and drivers of local coastal economies. The Directorate designed these activities to equip students with scientific understanding and practical perspectives on the environmental and socio-economic value of mangrove ecosystems.
The program has moved beyond knowledge dissemination and encouraged tangible action. Students have initiated research proposals on mangrove rehabilitation, launched environmental campaigns through social media, established mangrove-focused communities in schools and campuses, and participated directly in rehabilitation efforts in their respective regions.
Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation Nikolas Nugroho Surjobasuindro stated that young people play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Indonesia’s coastal ecosystems. He emphasized that cross-generational continuity remains essential in mangrove rehabilitation efforts and that the MGTS program prepares youth not only to understand the importance of mangroves but also to lead and act as agents of change.
He added that participatory and data-driven educational approaches will foster a generation capable of integrating science, innovation, and collective action to address climate change, coastal erosion, and development pressures in coastal regions.
Looking ahead, the Directorate plans to integrate MGTS with broader forestry programs and expand its implementation to at least 10 universities and additional senior high schools in coastal and priority watershed areas by mid-year. The Directorate targets participation of more than 2,000 students in the next phase. It will support this expansion through the Mangrove for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) project and collaboration with local governments, community groups, and development partners.
Through MGTS, the Directorate reaffirmed that investing in youth constitutes a long-term investment in sustainable mangrove ecosystems and Indonesia’s coastal resilience. (*)
