- Indonesia has more mangrove forests than any other country, but much of it has been degraded for fish and shrimp farms.
- The government aims to restore 600,000 hectares of mangroves by 2024, but questions remain about its stated progress toward that goal.
- If Indonesia can completely stop mangrove destruction, it can meet one-fourth of the government’s 29% emissions reduction target for 2030.
“Without the mangroves, the crabs cannot grow well,” said villager Roslina, 50. “It has been a perfect habitat for crabs to live, together with other various fish and shrimp.”
Roslina leads a government-sanctioned forest farmers group in Kun-kun, in northern Sumatra near the island’s Indian Ocean coast.
Her story was recounted in a government pamphlet about the group, which has received training from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on how to raise mangrove crabs under a program funded by the World Bank and the Danish government.
Kun-kun is one example of how protecting mangroves can benefit local livelihoods. But it’s only one bright spot in Indonesia, which has more mangroves than any other country but whose mangroves are mostly degraded, according to government figures.
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