Ministry of Environment and Forestry intensifies mangrove conservation in Papua as the lungs of the world

Indonesia has the largest mangrove forests in the world. Papua has become the last bastion for the lungs of the world. In Nabire, head of the Mamberamo River Basin Management Office (PDAS) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Dewi Irma Haktisari, said on Saturday that the mangrove area in Papua totals about 1.5 million hectares, or around 45 percent of Indonesia’s total mangroves of 3.4 million hectares. “Indonesia is a country with the largest mangrove forest in the world. Papua is the last bastion for the lungs of the world,” she said. She explained that mangroves are crucial because they can produce oxygen five times greater than terrestrial forests. In addition, mangroves are considered more effective at limiting coastal erosion and tsunamis than man-made breakwaters. “Mangroves have the ability to reduce erosion and tsunamis three times more effectively than artificial breakwaters,” she said. She hopes the Ministry will continue to support the development of carbon trading so that communities can gain economic benefits from preserving mangroves. Currently, their focus is on mangrove management in Central Papua because the mangrove areas there have not been fully exploited. The mangrove area in Central Papua Province is about 281 thousand hectares, spread across Nabire and Mimika regencies, with conditions that are still very good and dense. This state suggests mangroves have great potential for fisheries and tourism, as they are habitats for various marine life such as crabs, shellfish, and fish. “The mangroves in Central Papua are dense, meaning they are still well preserved,” he said. The Head of the Environmental, Forestry and Land Office of Central Papua, Yan Richard Pugu, said mangrove management is carried out through a zoning system between protected and utilising areas. He noted that mangrove utilisation in Papua is generally limited to the development of tourism and pond fisheries. “For fisheries, the area is not very large, only around 10 to 20 percent of the mangrove area because it is restricted,” he said. He added that mangrove area management is done in collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) because not all mangrove areas lie within forest areas.