Initial Steps for Community-Based Mangrove Protection and Restoration in Bangka Belitung
Indonesia, home to over 17,000 islands, harbors 3-4 gigatons of blue carbon—around 17% of the global total. This carbon is stored within coastal ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass beds, which can sequester three to five times more carbon than tropical forests. Thriving mangrove forests are invaluable, providing many benefits for nature and surrounding communities' livelihoods.
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Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN) is committed to supporting government efforts to protect and restore mangrove ecosystems in collaboration with various stakeholders, including communities. In May 2024, YKAN adopted the concept of Natural Climate Solutions by launching a six-year program in Bangka Belitung Province, with support from conservation partner, the Tahija Foundation.
In June 2024, an initial field survey was conducted in four regencies: Bangka, West Bangka, Belitung, and East Belitung. The survey team engaged with 14 village governments and discussed with community groups to identify opportunities for restoring and protecting mangroves in each village. The discussions led to identifying key indicators for selecting locations, emphasizing conservation, economic potential, social needs, and village governance. From this process, six villages were chosen for further action. From these six villages, a potential protection area of 2,267.47 hectares has been identified, exceeding the program's target of 2,000 hectares by almost 17%. This area includes mangrove forests situated within production forest zones, other land use regions, and social forestry areas that have government permits but lack formalized work plans.
This program engages a diverse group of stakeholders, each playing a crucial role in the protection and restoration of the mangrove ecosystem. These include the Watershed Management Agency for Baturusa Cerucuk, the Environment and Forestry Office for Bangka Belitung Province, the Forest Management Units for Sigambir Kotawaringin, Belantu Mendanau, and Gunung Duren, the Marine and Fisheries Office of Bangka Belitung Province, and Bangka Belitung University.
It is anticipated this program will lead to the community’s active involvement in protecting 2,000 hectares of mangrove ecosystems and restoring 200 hectares of degraded mangrove forests. Furthermore, the program aims to support the Regional Mangrove Working Group in managing 60,000 ha of mangroves and fostering sustainable livelihoods for communities in Bangka Belitung, ensuring both ecological and economic sustainability.
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