Indonesia, through the Environment and Forestry Ministry, is encouraging and supporting concrete steps at the G20 forum for reducing land degradation and rehabilitating mangrove ecosystems.
Director general of watershed management and forest rehabilitation (PDASRH) at the ministry, Dyah Murtiningsih, made the remarks during a side event of the G20 Environment Deputies Meeting-Climate Sustainability Working Group (EDM-CSWG) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
During its presidency of the G20, Indonesia has sought concrete steps from G20 member countries to support and actively contribute to global initiatives for preventing and reducing land degradation, she noted.
“Indonesia encourages and supports every initiative to make various efforts to reduce land degradation and mangrove rehabilitation,” Murtiningsih remarked in Jakarta on Wednesday.
G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.
Indonesia has initiated concrete steps by targeting to rehabilitate 600 thousand hectares of mangroves, Murtiningsih said.
One such initiative has been undertaken by the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) to encourage collaboration between stakeholders for mangrove rehabilitation, she added.
Further, Indonesia is planning to establish 30 large-scale nurseries to support efforts to restore land and forest ecosystems, including the Rumpin Modern Nursery, West Java.
Murtiningsih said that major land and forest rehabilitation efforts have been carried out by various stakeholders and local communities as well as through international collaboration at 108 watershed units, 15 priority lakes, 65 reservoirs, 100 water springs, disaster-prone areas, forests with fire-prone areas, and degraded lands across 34 provinces.
“The implementation of the mangrove rehabilitation program can also be carried out with education and community empowerment,” she added.
At the side event, BRGM’s deputy for community empowerment, Gatot Soebiantoro, underlined the importance of participation and collaboration from all stakeholders for mangrove rehabilitation.
“Including the international community, the central government, local governments, academics, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and communities at the site level to support mangrove rehabilitation as part of efforts to achieve the nationally determined contributions (NDC) target,” he said.
Source: Antara News