Indonesia’s delegation presented the country’s large-scale mangrove rehabilitation achievements at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30 UNFCCC) in Belém, Brazil, on Thursday (13 November 2025). The presentation was delivered by Ristianto Pribadi, Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation, during a special session at the Japan Pavilion, held at the invitation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Indonesia emphasized that with 3.44 million hectares of mangroves, representing 23 percent of the world’s total mangrove area, the country holds both an ecological responsibility and a major opportunity to advance Nature-Based Solutions (NbS). The national mangrove rehabilitation program serves as a practical example of how ecosystem restoration can function as an effective instrument for climate mitigation and adaptation.
Ristianto explained that mangroves provide highly strategic ecological and economic benefits. Two to five hectares of mangroves can filter pollutants equivalent to one hectare of shrimp or fish ponds, while their carbon storage capacity is three to five times higher than that of terrestrial tropical forests. In terms of adaptation, mangrove-based coastal protection is proven to be five times more cost-effective compared to constructing concrete infrastructure. Furthermore, mangrove ecosystems provide habitat for over 3,000 fish species, supporting food security and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of coastal residents.
According to Ristianto, the success of large-scale mangrove restoration requires improved financing approaches. He highlighted the need to shift toward collaborative and innovative financing models capable of accommodating the social and ecological complexities on the ground.
“Conventional financing systems are not sufficient to support the dynamic nature of mangrove restoration. We need innovative financing that allows flexibility, multi-year funding, and direct access for local communities,” he stated.
The Innovative Finance concept has become a strategic pillar in Indonesia’s policy framework. This approach integrates blended finance, climate funding mechanisms, and philanthropic partnerships to enable results-based financing, faster resource mobilization, and strengthened local community capacity.
Ristianto outlined six essential components required to ensure sustainable restoration programs: long-term financing, multi-stakeholder governance, integration of community-based economic models, adaptive management grounded in science, land tenure certainty, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms through South–South cooperation and global networks.
He emphasized that the successful implementation of NbS in Indonesia is supported by five key actor groups:
- the government as the regulator,
- international partners as providers of funding and expertise,
- local communities as frontline implementers,
- research institutions as managers of data and evaluation, and
- non-governmental organizations as facilitators and advocates.
Through this collaborative approach, Indonesia demonstrates that mangrove rehabilitation is not only beneficial for the environment but also serves as a strategic climate investment—one that strengthens the socio-economic resilience of coastal communities while contributing meaningfully to the global climate agenda.
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