Jakarta – The government through the Ministry of National Planning and Development (PPN/Bappenas) and the Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) together with the French Development Agency (AFD) are working together to manage a blue carbon ecosystem that will be integrated with national climate change policies. In this cooperation, funding of 620,000 euros, or around Rp 9.9 billion is allocated.
The three-year project will focus on managing blue carbon ecosystems in three locations, namely Juru Seberang (Belitung), Likupang (North Sulawesi), and Raja Ampat (West Papua). This cooperation is an effort in low carbon development as well as a strategic step to improve the quality and sustainability of blue ecosystems, through the implementation of Indonesia’s Blue Carbon Strategic Framework.
The inauguration of the cooperation and socialisation related to the implementation of the blue carbon project was released at a discussion entitled “Integration of Blue Carbon in Climate Change Policy in Indonesia” in Jakarta, late May.
Acting Director of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas Sri Yanti said, according to the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), low-carbon development is a priority program to improve environmental quality, disaster resilience, and climate change, including to optimise the potential of blue carbon ecosystems in the form of mangroves and seagrass beds.
She said it is necessary to identify the need for blue carbon ecosystem policies for climate change mitigation and other supporting technical instruments. In addition, it is essential to integrate blue carbon ecosystem management into Indonesia’s biodiversity and climate policies. Yanti said the key to optimising the potential of blue carbon in mitigating climate change can be through international carbon trading and contributions in reducing emissions in accordance with the national contribution document (NDC).
Head of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Sub-Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Budiharto explained that in the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said “data availability, especially related to damage in seagrass beds, is one of the most important aspects in measuring emissions in this ecosystem. As for mangroves, the measurement of emissions in this ecosystem has been reported in greenhouse gas inventories and the program to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). (Hartatik)
Banner photo: mangrove forest in Cilacap Segara Anakan Lagoon Conservation Area (Kolak Sekancil), Lempong Pucung Hamlet, Ujung Alang Village, Kampung Lau District, Central Java. Mangroves are considered blue carbon because they have the potential to sequester higher amounts of carbon naturally. (Hartatik)