Mangrove Loss and Blue Carbon decline in Indonesia’s Coastal Regions

Indonesia has the largest mangrove area in the world and supports high diversity, including 92 true mangrove species. They provide critical ecosystem services such as protection from floods, disaster risk reduction, fisheries support, carbon sequestration, and erosion prevention. Despite their importance, Indonesia has experienced significant mangrove loss/destruction over the past two centuries. This is majorly driven by factors such as pollution, illegal logging, rapid urbanization, agriculture, and aquaculture expansion, with shrimp specifically. This leads to mangrove degradation, and it threatens community livelihoods, coastal resilience, ecosystem services, and national climate mitigation goals. In recent decades, Indonesia has begun to recognize mangroves as a key blue carbon ecosystem. Under the Paris Agreement, mangrove conservation and restoration strategies have been included. However, mangrove governance remains an issue due to overlapping land-sea policies, weak regulations, and gaps in regulatory frameworks. This paper reviews the environmental and economic importance of mangroves in Indonesia and examines the key drivers of mangrove loss, and discusses the challenges related to policy integration. The discussion highlights the need for inter-sectoral governance, community involvement, sustainable and long-term restoration practices, and financial sources. Strengthening these areas is essential for safeguarding Indonesia’s mangroves.