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Mangrove conservation in Indonesia

Southeast Asia’s natural coast guards need our help

Over millions of years, mangrove trees developed sophisticated adaptations to withstand harsh coastal environments. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

Over millions of years, mangrove trees developed sophisticated adaptations to withstand harsh coastal environments. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

With more than 17,000 islands and over 54,000 kilometres of tropical coastline, Indonesia encompasses the largest area of mangrove forests of any country worldwide. However, the archipelago is experiencing alarming rates of mangrove loss: Only 3 million hectares of mangroves remain, representing 65% of its original area, according to recent studies. This means that roughly one third of all mangroves in Indonesia have been destroyed, most of them in the last 30 years. In many areas, this portion is much higher, as is the case in the project region in the West of Gorontalo province on Sulawesi Island. There, approximately 60% of the original mangrove area have been destroyed, largely due to the rapid development of aquaculture farms.


Turning the tide of mangrove loss

The consequences of mangrove degradation are increasingly apparent in coastal communities along the shores of Gorontalo province. With their vital ecosystem services, mangroves are particularly important for local fishermen and the livelihoods of their families. They provide breeding grounds for many fish species and other marine organisms, and filter sediments and nutrients that would otherwise suffocate coral reefs offshore. As sea levels rise and storm surges become more frequent and severe due to climate change, the lack of natural protection provided by mangroves exacerbates the negative consequences for local inhabitants: Many settlements now face increased levels of coastal erosion and severe damages to their infrastructure. Consequently, mangroves are increasingly recognized as indispensable allies to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.


  • View of the floating village Torosiaje in Pohuwato Regency in Gorontalo Province. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

  • The path to the floating village Torosiaje leads through mangroves. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

  • Mangroves and their ecosystem services are indispensable for Indonesia's coastal communities. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

  • Mangroves secure the livelihoods of local fishermen and their families. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

  • Mangroves protect the coasts from erosion, waves, tidal currents and storms. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Dian Kusdini

Upscaling mangrove conservation and sustainable use practices

Together with our Indonesian BirdLife Partner Burung Indonesia, we support six coastal communities in the western part of Pohuwato Regency in Gorontalo Province to protect the remaining mangrove forests and identify areas suitable for restoration. The project will bring together all relevant stakeholders in the region to join forces for improved mangrove conservation and management.


Project activities include

  • Monitoring: We improve the monitoring of remaining mangrove forests by training and equipping monitoring teams in each of the communities and by developing protocols for data collection and analysis. The results will be shared with state authorities and scientists to improve the assessment of larger-scale trends in the whole Bay of Tomini, and to support law enforcement where state regulations for the protection of mangroves are infringed.

  • Identifying areas suitable for restoration: Based on monitoring data, we identify areas that are most suitable for restoration efforts in cooperation with government agencies.

  • Environmental education: We promote mangrove conservation and restoration, empowering local communities to contribute to limiting the degradation of mangroves in their areas.

  • Securing livelihoods: We develop sustainable income opportunities based on mangrove products. These could be snacks or herbal teas, as well as handicrafts, natural dyes or furniture made of a range of suitable mangrove plants. Additionally, we work with aquaculture farmers and implement measures that support both the productivity in their ponds and mangrove rehabilitation in adjacent sites.

  • Ecotourism: We investigate the potential to integrate mangroves and their protection into ecotourism offers in the region such as birdwatching and diving - with both activities benefitting enormously from intact and large mangrove areas.


  • In Sulawesi, we join hands with Burung Indonesia and six coastal communities to protect remaining mangrove forests and identify areas suitable for restoration. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Abdullah Kadir Diko

    In Sulawesi, we join hands with Burung Indonesia and six coastal communities to protect remaining mangrove forests and identify areas suitable for restoration. - photo: Burung Indonesia/ Abdullah Kadir Diko

    Project facts

    Project title
    Sustainable Development and Mangrove Conservation in the Bay of Tomini

    Country/Region
    Indonesia, Sulawesi, Pohuwato Regency in Gorontalo Province

    Period
    October 2022 to March 2026

    Partners
    Burung Indonesia

    Sponsored by / Supported by
    German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

    With this project we are contributing to the following SDGs
    SDG 1, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15

    Related topics

    Endangered beauty: the Banggai cardinalfish is endemic to the Banggai Archipelago and threatened by overfishing and habitat loss. - photo: mirecca/ adobe.stock.com
    Sustainable fisheries management

    The marine biodiversity of the Coral Triangle is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation. We support coastal communities of the Banggai Islands to secure their livelihoods through sustainable fishing practices in line with the Marine Protected Area. more →

    Hornbill in Hutan Harapan, Indonesia - photo: Tom Kirschey / NABU
    Hutan Harapan

    Hutan Harapan (Indonesian: forest of hope) is a tropical secondary lowland forest in Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of our most precious conservation and restoration programs. The forest represents about one fifth of all remaining lowland forest on Sumatra. more →

    Tarsier in Indonesia - Foto: Lara Shirin Bienkowski
    Asia

    Mountains, deserts, rainforests: Asia has an incredible range of ecosystems and species. In Central Asia NABU has been active on the ground since the 1990s to protect those threatened paradises of nature. In South East Asia, NABU and its partners focus on protecting and restoring landscape-scale rainforests on Sumatra and Sulawesi. more →

Contact

Martin Baumann - photo: NABU/ sevens+maltry
Martin Baumann
Project Manager Coastal Ecosystems martin.baumann@nabu.de + 49 30 28 49 84-17 87

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Tarsier in Indonesia - Foto: Lara Shirin Bienkowski

Asia

Mountains, deserts, rainforests: Central Asia und South East Asia have an incredible range of ecosystems and species. Since the 1990s Asia is one of the focus regions of NABU.

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The 2030 agenda of the UN

By active voluntary work on the ground, national and international projects and lobbying, NABU contributes to the achievement of the SDGs.

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