WRI Introduces Ocean Calculator as a Geospatial Measurement Tool

World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia, together with several parties, has developed a prototype Ocean Calculator. This is a platform that serves as a geospatial measurement tool based on marine resource balance sheets to calculate the economic value of marine and coastal ecosystems. WRI Indonesia Country Director Nirarta Samadhi stated that his institution believes the management of the marine and fisheries sector in Indonesia needs to consider and be oriented towards society, nature, and the climate, based on data and knowledge. “One of our steps is to strengthen the use of data and science as a basis for public decision-making and sustainable and equitable investment,” he said during the Ocean Calculator launch event in Jakarta on Thursday, 25 June 2026. This Ocean Calculator prototype has been developed since 2024 by WRI Indonesia together with the University of New South Wales Australia, the University of Riau, the University of Mataram, and Gadjah Mada University. This development is also supported by the Australian Government through the KONEKSI (Australia-Indonesia Knowledge Partnership Platform) programme. Users can access it via the link ocean-calculator.wri-indonesia.id. The system makes it possible to calculate ecosystem assets in Indonesian waters quickly and accurately using geospatial methods and sourced from available data such as maps, satellite imagery, research results, and government surveys. Further development also involves the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to support scientific studies, human resource strengthening, and innovation development. “Including the expansion of research support for marine resource balance sheets that contribute significantly to strengthening policies for achieving sustainable development targets and climate action in Indonesia’s marine and fisheries sector,” said Nirarta. He said the support not only covers the provision of ecosystem data but also provides trial access to the tools in the prototype within the Conservation Database System (Sidako) platform. Going forward, WRI Indonesia hopes the partnership for developing the prototype to a more advanced level can continue. Director General of Marine Management at the KKP, Koswara, said the Ocean Calculator is a very helpful instrument for observing ocean health. This platform can make it easier to scan the actual condition of the sea as well as various threats from activities taking place at a specific point. “Hopefully this data can also drive policy not only at sea, but also drive improvement policies on land,” said Koswara during his remarks. Koswara acknowledged that the scope of duties within the KKP has not yet met the targets expected by all parties. The obstacle faced is limited financing, particularly for marine conservation which reaches 30.9 million hectares this year. “But of those millions, those that are truly managed properly still require a struggle, because it is not easy,” he said. He assessed this as a good collaboration for improving the marine situation. The cooperation established among stakeholders is also to form a development thinking framework that is interconnected between land and sea ecosystems. The event was also accompanied by the signing of a cooperation agreement between WRI Indonesia, the Directorate General of Marine Management of the KKP, the Directorate General of Marine Management, and the Directorate General of Regional Development from the Ministry of Home Affairs, as a further commitment to the development of the Ocean Calculator.