VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 26 - Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan drew attention to this year’s target of the mangrove rehabilitation program spanning a total area of 150,000 hectares (ha).

"I request that, if possible, we attempt to (rehabilitate) 150,000 ha of critical and tsunami-prone (mangrove areas)," he noted in a written statement here on Tuesday.

Pandjaitan highlighted the target while chairing a coordination meeting held to discuss the implementation of accelerated mangrove rehabilitation programs on Monday.

Attendees at the online meeting comprised Minister of Environmental Affairs and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Wahyu Trenggono, representatives of the Home Affairs Ministry and the National Development Planning Ministry/Bappenas, and Head Representative of World Bank for Indonesia and Timor Leste One Kahkonen.

Some 84 percent of the mangrove rehabilitation program’s funding in 2021 will be sourced from the State Budget (APBN), including from the Additional Assistance Budget (ABT), through the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN), while the remaining 16 percent will be derived from non-APBN sources.

A large-scale nursery would be built to support the mangrove rehabilitation program.

Pandjaitan has urged local governments across the country to support the mangrove rehabilitation program.

"We urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to coordinate, so that the provinces and districts will also help maintain the mangroves, and they will also reap the fruits of this program, as it creates jobs," he remarked.

The minister also discussed the carbon credit potential that could be optimized through the mangrove rehabilitation program. To this end, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry will identify suitable locations to serve as pilot projects for carbon trading, and regulations are also being prepared to regulate carbon trading activities.

Nurbaya emphasized the importance of the public gaining a comprehensive understanding of the program that had drawn international attention owing to its effect on the climate change agenda.

"The good news is that climate change in Indonesia is considered to be in the medium category. We have nearly become a role model country for good (mitigation of) climate change," she affirmed. (Antaranews)