by Nurul Fitri Ramadhani

JAKARTA, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Haryono, a 55-year-old resident of Muara Gembong, a district in Bekasi Regency, West Java province, recalled how severe abrasion repeatedly forced him to move his home.

In 2013, he first rebuilt his house after strong waves damaged the mangrove area in front of his property. Only a few years later, he had to move his bamboo house again as the shoreline continued to retreat.

"We used to be busy caring for mangroves, not only because they had economic value but also because of their conservation role. But coastal conditions have been damaged by abrasion, the expansion of fishponds, and sand mining. The mangrove forest here has been reduced by more than half. You can see the coastline has changed," he told Xinhua on Saturday.

Mangroves serve as natural barriers against abrasion, high waves, and tsunamis, while functioning as efficient blue carbon sinks capable of storing four to five times more carbon than terrestrial forests.

Muara Gembong was once known for its mangrove belt stretching along 25 kilometers of northern Java's coastline. A 2019 study found that since 1976, the area had lost 55 percent of its mangrove forests.

Nationwide, mangrove loss has occurred across almost all regions. The Ministry of Environment estimated that Indonesia now has 3.44 million hectares of mangroves, more than 20 percent of the global total, down from 4.4 million hectares in 1990.

According to a World Bank report published in late 2023, Indonesian mangroves stored around 3.14 billion tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to emissions from 2.5 billion vehicles driven for one year. However, at least 750,000 hectares have been degraded and urgently require restoration.

The impact is also evident in Banten province. In Muara village in Teluknaga district, Tangerang Regency, the mangrove ecosystem has shrunk from 500 to 400 hectares over the past three decades, according to Supriyatno, manager of the Muara Village Mangrove Forest. In the nearby Tanjung Pasir coastal area, mangrove coverage has plunged from 1,800 hectares to just 91 hectares.

"Our mangroves are priceless natural treasures. But the major challenges ahead must be addressed immediately so that our mangrove forests can continue to function as protectors of life," Indonesian Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said in a recent statement posted on the ministry's website.

He said that the government plans to accelerate mangrove rehabilitation, targeting the restoration of 800,000 hectares nationwide.

"This year, more than 13,000 hectares of mangroves have been rehabilitated, and the government will continue to expand the program," he said. He stressed that rehabilitation is a concrete step to respond to climate change and that Indonesia bears significant responsibility for protecting the ecosystem for both the country and the world.

Suyadi, senior researcher at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, noted that mangrove rehabilitation in many countries, including Indonesia, faces an average failure rate of 79 percent because degradation is occurring faster than restoration.

He said restoration efforts should adopt an approach integrating ecosystem, community, and biotechnology, covering land preparation, mangrove propagation, nursery development, planting techniques, maintenance, and monitoring.

"We need a new mindset that mangrove restoration is not just about planting. It is about truly realizing a sustainable mangrove ecosystem," he said.