Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries establishes seagrass baseline to strengthen blue carbon governance
Jakarta — The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is undertaking the compilation of baseline data on greenhouse gas emissions from seagrass ecosystems as a measure to strengthen national blue carbon governance and the maritime sector’s contribution to climate change mitigation.
The Director General of Marine Management at the KKP, Koswara, stated that establishing a baseline for seagrass or marine plant emissions represents a foundational step in strengthening national blue carbon management.
“This data will serve as an important foundation in formulating climate change mitigation policies in the maritime and fisheries sector whilst also supporting the achievement of national emission reduction targets,” he said in an official statement in Jakarta on Thursday.
Koswara explained that seagrass ecosystems are known for their ability to absorb and store carbon in substantial quantities. Alongside mangroves and coral reefs, seagrass forms an important part of nature-based climate change mitigation strategy, or blue carbon.
He stated that establishing a baseline is important for understanding the initial conditions of carbon reserves and the potential emissions resulting from changes or disturbances to these ecosystems.
The Director of Ecosystem Conservation at the KKP, Firdaus Agung, added that strengthening methodology and emissions data governance in the maritime sector is crucial in supporting sustainable marine development.
“The formulation of methodology in establishing the seagrass emissions baseline is expected to strengthen emissions data governance in the maritime and fisheries sector to make it more integrated and credible,” he said.
The KKP previously conducted a Technical Workshop on Seagrass GHG Baseline Agreement and Emissions Data Governance in the Maritime and Fisheries Sector as a forum to standardise methodology and strengthen the emissions data system in the maritime and fisheries sector.
The workshop emphasised the importance of data integration to support reporting, monitoring, and evaluation of the maritime sector’s contribution in a transparent and accountable manner.
The GHG emissions baseline from seagrass ecosystems serves as the initial foundation for developing the blue carbon system in the maritime and fisheries sector. The KKP previously targeted blue carbon projects to enter the carbon trading market by 2027.
Indonesia possesses approximately 17 per cent of the world’s blue carbon ecosystems, encompassing mangroves, seagrass meadows, and tidal wetlands. With maritime territory covering nearly three-quarters of the country’s total area, Indonesia’s blue economy is estimated to be worth 1.3 trillion US dollars.
The KKP is confident that the substantial blue carbon reserves position Indonesia to obtain significant economic value from carbon trading. Seagrass ecosystems have become a focus for acceleration as they were not included in the second nationally determined contribution (NDC) document, and establishing a baseline is expected to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the global emission reduction agenda.