Indonesia to Show off Its Mangrove to G20 Leaders

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian government planned to ‘showcase’ its mangrove restoration program during G20 presidency to show its commitment to the environment.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said as one of the priorities in Joko Widodo’s presidency, the rehabilitation of mangrove will be taken as an example to display national focus on the pressing issue.

“One of the important issues in the G20 is climate change, and Indonesian government will showcase mangrove to G20 leaders,” Pandjaitan said on Thursday, December 9.

The government has set a target to restore 600,000 ha of mangrove by 2024, and the Coordinating Minister ordered concerning ministries and state agencies to ensure the program is carried out optimally to show Indonesia’s commitment to safeguard the environment and to slow climate change.

Deputy for environment and forestry management at the Ministry Nani Hendiarti further explained that mangrove rehabilitation is one of the national priority programs set by President Joko Widodo.

For 2021, she said the initial target was to restore 100,000 ha of mangrove. However, the plan was adjusted due to COVID-19 pandemic and continuous mobility restrictions, and the government is currently focusing on seed procurement.

“We recorded around 40,000 ha [of rehabilitation] this year, but the figure will updated at the end of the year because we haven’t included data from state-owned enterprises, private sectors, and regional governments.”

The deputy expected 150,000 to 200,000 ha of mangrove to be rehabilitated by 2022 through supporting scheme and strategic partnerships.

Several states, she added, have expressed their intention to support the program, starting from next year.

“World Bank, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates will begin their support next year,” she concluded.