To conclude the EU Climate Diplomacy Week 2021 in Indonesia, EU delegations showcased their commitment and support to tackling climate change by taking a mangrove conservation trip to Angke Nature Park on a trip organized by CarbonEthics. The visit, which took place on Saturday (16/10/2021), aimed to raise public awareness of the global importance of Indonesia’s mangroves in tackling climate change and to engage with local organizations dedicated to climate action.
Indonesia is home to approximately 3 million hectares of mangrove forests or 23% of the world’s mangrove population. Over the past 30 years, 40% of Indonesia’s mangrove forests have been lost to deforestation. About 52,000 hectares of mangrove forest in Indonesia - roughly the size of New York - disappear every year.
There was a point when Jakarta had 1,000 hectares of mangrove forests, but only 327 hectares of it still stand today. This can be attributed to changes in land use to fish farms, industrial estates, transportation & recreation infrastructure, tin mining, and agriculture. Many also think that mangrove forests are an eyesore and useless, so they cut them down and turn them into fish farms instead.
Against that backdrop, the mangrove conservation trip to Angke Nature Park was held as part of EU Diplomacy Week. The Nature Park is home to at least 47 animal species and at least 100 vegetation species, a perfect place to learn about mangroves’ role in sustaining the coastal ecosystem.
Several highlights of the trip include activities that sought to raise awareness of the role of mangrove forests in combating the climate crisis by learning about on-the-ground conservation efforts. The event also involved real climate action to increase mangrove coverage through its planting in which EU delegations and ambassadors planted 75 mangroves in support of its conservation. The event was well-attended by 19 EU delegations, including two EU ambassadors and four EU state ambassadors.
Writer: Adila N Ilma
Editor: Faiz Karim