IPB: East Coast of Jambi a stopover site for intercontinental waterbirds

The East Coast of Jambi serves as a stopover site for thousands of intercontinental waterbirds travelling from East Asia to Australia between August and April.

Eko Budi Priyanto, Coordinator of the Coastal Wetland SCS-SAP Project at the Centre for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies (PKSPL) of IPB University, revealed in a written statement in Jambi on Friday that research by the Essential Ecosystem Area (KEE) Working Group in 2025 observed more than 1,000 birds from 24 species of migratory shorebirds at the location at one time.

“We also recorded three species of migratory shorebirds with Endangered (EN) status based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria,” he stated.

During each migration season from August to April, Pantai Cemara in Jambi becomes a foraging and roosting site for thousands of individual migratory shorebirds, such as the Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer), Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), and Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris).

He continued that this important location is not only protected for biodiversity but also plays a strategic role in supporting the sustainability of coastal community livelihoods. Furthermore, it acts as a life support system, maintaining water supply, preventing natural disasters, reducing the impact of natural disasters, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

“Because of this significant value, the Establishment of the Collaborative Forum for the Management of the Pantai Cemara Essential Ecosystem was stipulated through Jambi Governor Decree Number: 398/Kep.Gub/Dishut-3.3/2019 dated 18 March 2019 for future management,” said Eko.

To identify achievements, lessons learned, and challenges in management implementation, his team conducted a Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) assessment on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 in Jambi.