Preserving Indonesia's coasts essential for national well-being<\/p>\n
Sukristijono Sukardjo, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, coasts are home to the highest concentration of
\npeople, ethnically mixed, and provide a natural resource base on
\nwhich such a broad range of human activities depends that they
\nare areas vulnerable to social conflict.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is one of the largest maritime countries in the
\nworld. Its coastal zone -- where land meets sea and where fresh
\nand salt waters mix -- contains many of the earth's most
\ncomplex, diverse and productive ecological systems; and is a
\ntreasure trove of diverse natural resources, which make up the
\nmost fundamental elements of the Indonesian environment.<\/p>\n
The coastal zones in each of the archipelago's thousands of
\nislands are unique, ecological and biological domains of vital
\nimportance to a wide array of terrestrial and aquatic life-forms,
\nincluding of course humankind; they are amazing habitats\/areas
\nthat are never static. Species diversity in coastal environments
\ndiffers markedly from those in terrestrial and oceanic systems.<\/p>\n
Abundant forage materials and nutrients attract many species
\nand many species depend upon the coastal habitats for part of
\ntheir life-cycle. Many coastal ecosystems depend on finely
\nbalanced nutrient supplies. They are fragile systems that are
\nalways destroyed or impaired by pollutants. Individual species
\nsuch as a fish and shellfish thrive in the habitats and
\necosystems -- coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, wetlands and
\ntidelands, estuaries, and beaches -- found on our coasts. Here,
\nour fishery resources are spawned and nurtured, offering nursery,
\nfeeding and breeding habitats for many marine species.<\/p>\n
Deforestation and agricultural activities occurring far inland
\ncan also give rise to the pollution of coastal systems through
\nsiltation and run-off of fertilizer and pesticides -- Jakarta Bay
\nbeing a prime example. Land-based pollution accounts for over 75
\npercent of marine pollution in Indonesia and is generated by both
\nurban and rural land use. These areas support our economy and
\nliterally feed the nation.<\/p>\n
Over-fishing, over-exploitation, and pollution are putting a
\ntremendous strain on our coastal resources, however, resulting in
\nthe loss of fishery habitats, water quality, and various types of
\nmarine life from corals, seagrasses to mangroves to fishes.<\/p>\n
If our coastal environment is not conserved or managed well,
\nresource-use conflicts and threats to food security will
\ninevitably add to our country's social and economic development
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
Already vulnerable to natural phenomena such as tsunami,
\ntyphoons, cyclones and coastal storms, our coastal communities
\nare facing an even greater risk from all kinds of unmanaged and
\npotentially harmful human activities. The unrestrained pursuit of
\nmultiple activities in coastal zones inevitably leads to
\ncompetition for finite resources, environmental degradation and
\noften environmental and social conflict, like in Buyat Bay, in
\nNorth Sulawesi, and Jakarta Bay.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, development practices that ignore the dynamics of
\ncoastal systems island-by-island can be catastrophic, as
\nevidenced by the increasing loss of lives, property and
\ninvestment due to coastal flooding and erosion. The destruction
\nof natural barriers to coastal flooding -- reefs, mangroves and
\ndunes -- further increases the vulnerability of coastal
\npopulations, as does localized land subsidence, which may be
\ninduced by large-scale extraction of ground water, oil and gas.
\nFurther threats of sea-level rises and other possible impacts of
\nglobal warming are also in our face.<\/p>\n
Open access to coastal resources has resulted in over-fishing.
\nDynamite fishing, cyanide poisoning, industrial pollution,
\ndomestic waste, and siltation are destroying our coastal reefs
\nand seagrass beds. Our mangrove forests are being converted into
\nfishponds, beach resorts, and residential and industrial estates,
\nfurther reducing the natural habitats of various fish, shellfish,
\nand crustaceans found in our coastal zones.<\/p>\n
The result: a declining fish catch, which has already led to a
\nsituation where most fishing activities are becoming economically
\nunviable. Thousands of hectares of the waterlogged coastal zone
\nresources have been lost country-wide in unsustainable
\ndevelopment programs. More are going, and this is unfortunate
\nbecause it is now known that these so-called "wastelands" are a
\nresource as valuable as good farmland and, in their own unique
\nway, equally productive.<\/p>\n
Despite widespread coastal degradation in Indonesia,
\nopportunities still exist for sustainable development and for
\nremedial action in heavily impacted areas -- Aceh, North Sumatra
\nand Nias.<\/p>\n
A prerequisite, however, is a genuine commitment to coastal
\nmanagement, not just by governments (provincial and central), but
\nalso by the multitude of users and beneficiaries of coastal
\nresources. Reconciling coastal conflicts will require measures
\nthat are more integrated, adaptive, system-oriented and far-
\nsighted than the sector approaches commonly adopted.<\/p>\n
Community participation is therefore an inherent and integral
\npart of good government.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, coastal environments should be of primary
\nimportance in the biosphere reserve program. It is tempting to
\npropose a locked-gate management strategy in which all human
\nactivity is precluded, thus permitting nature to take its course;
\nhowever, because the biosphere reserves will include coastal
\nareas not free of man's influence or devoid of potential
\ncommercial value, they will fail to meet the criteria for island
\nisolation.<\/p>\n
Management strategy for coastal areas should be based on the
\nprinciple that the natural range and scale of physical processes
\nmust remain unchecked within the biosphere reserves.<\/p>\n
At the national and local (provincial and district) levels,
\nthe development of broad-scale resource and use policies is
\nimportant -- including coast- and exclusive environmental zone
\n-specific environmental legislation and economic incentives and
\ndisincentives.<\/p>\n
Policies on human populations nationally may also need to be
\nmodified, and therefore birth control programs should be
\nintensified up to the district level. These programs should be
\nconsidered a major part of integrated coastal zone management in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The writer is professor in mangrove ecology at the Center for
\nOceanological Research and Development, Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences, Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/preserving-indonesias-coasts-essential-for-national-well-being-1447893297",
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