Indonesia pushes tourism to boost mangrove restoration

Jakarta: Tourists in Indonesia are discovering the benefits of mangroves as the archipelago pushes to replant or conserve carbon-rich coastal areas that have been decimated by human activity.

Connie Sihombing, a 50-year-old resident of Jakarta, does not mind that she can hear traffic or planes flying above as she paddles her kayak through murky waters and the arching roots of mangrove trees.

“I’ve travelled far, yet I had no idea that close to home lies this fascinating and beautiful park,” she said, referring to a protected mangrove forest along the northern coast of the capital.

Mangroves in Indonesia, a country of more than 17,000 islands and miles of shoreline, have dwindled to about 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres) as urban development or seafood farming replaces what is a natural defence against rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion.

Last year alone, the country lost 700,000 hectares of mangroves, according to Indonesia’s Mangrove and Peatlands Restoration Agency (BRGM).