Enviro News Asia, Bali — The Ministry of Forestry has set a target to plant mangroves on 1,500 hectares of land by 2025. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni explained that mangrove planting in Indonesia is being continuously expanded as the country possesses the largest mangrove area in the world. Indonesia’s mangrove forests cover 3.5 million hectares, spread across various regions. He emphasized that mangroves are “miracle plants” with numerous environmental benefits. The large-scale planting efforts will focus on four provinces: North Kalimantan, which already has extensive mangrove areas, Riau, North Sumatra, and the Riau Islands. Meanwhile, in Bali, 50,000 mangroves will be planted on 5 hectares of land.
“In 2025, we aim to plant mangroves on 1,500 hectares of land. We continue to expand mangrove planting because of its many benefits,” Raja Juli explained after planting mangroves with the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM) at the Arboretum Park mangrove area in Denpasar on Thursday (January 16, 2025).
According to Juli, mangroves are often referred to as miracle plants due to their ability to combat erosion, enhance biodiversity, and absorb carbon. Moreover, Indonesia now has the opportunity to generate income through carbon trading. “The business has shifted—from cutting trees to planting them—with a carbon trading system. The more trees planted, the more income can be earned economically through carbon sales,” stated Raja Juli Antoni.
The carbon produced by mangroves, according to Raja Juli, holds economic value, enabling Indonesia to secure fresh funds from carbon sales. The emergence of the carbon business has also transformed public perspectives, encouraging tree planting rather than deforestation.
