Climate love
Image of Jacqueline Marchelli

Jacqueline Marchelli

65 w

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Wetlands International

Climate love

Helping mangrove restoration in Indonesia to protect sinking shores


In Demak, on the island of Java, Indonesia, Wetlands International pionneers an innovative approach to mangrove restoration, aiming to harness the power of nature to benefit both people and nature. Wetlands International is working along with the Indonesian government, technical experts, partner organizations and local people, supported by Dutch funding. Since 2015, about 120 hectares of mangroves have been restored and more than 300 ha of aquaculture ponds are being managed with sustainable techniques.
Local people are fighting back against the erosion and rising sea levels that have swallowed up vast areas of land along Java’s north coast. Key to their strategy is restoring a protective belt of mangroves. Past attempts to reinforce the coast have involved concrete sea walls and mangrove replanting schemes. But the heavy walls sank into the soft mud and the water was too deep and turbulent for the mangrove saplings.
This time, with the help the community in Demak has found a more natural solution. Villagers and contractors have erected some 3.4 km of wave-calming structures in the shallows along a 20 km stretch of the coast. Instead of washing away precious soil, the tides deposit part of their sediment load, creating good conditions for mangroves to re-grow.
“To do this, we create traps for sediment from local bamboo and nets,” explained Ahmad Busro, a community leader. “The hope is that when enough sediment accumulates, seeds that naturally drop off the mangrove can settle and grow.”
“When a mangrove forest is rehabilitated and is in good condition, the balance in the ecosystem provides a range of benefits to the community,” said Apri Susanto Astra, programme coordinator at Wetlands International Indonesia. “A good mangrove forest will act as a habitat for marine life, including fish and shrimp.”
Farmers have also agreed to let mangroves grow on part of their land after learning about how the trees not only protect against erosion but also improve conditions in their ponds. Nearly 300 farmers have been schooled in sustainable techniques such as the production and use of organic fertilizer that have boosted their returns – sometimes spectacularly.
Last December, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration selected this “Building With Nature” programme, among its first 10 UN World Restoration programs.
https://www.wetlands.org/news/un-recognises-building-with-nature-indonesias-efforts-with-world-restoration-flagship-award/


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Wetlands International

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64 w

Thanks for your positive reactions and for sharing concerns that we have to move fast, including in Kenya! Yes, we need to scale up mangrove restoration rapidly and do this in collaboration with all players as mentioned in the replies. It should also be based on best practice, which means move away from mass planting, which has success rates as low as 10-20% and do not reinstate functionality and connectivity. Wetlands International already works in various other locations in Asia and in both West and East Africa. See for instance our work in in Guinea Bissau: https://www.wetlands.org/casestudy/mangrove-restoration-to-plant-or-not-to-plant/ and our work to facilitate knowledge exchange under the Mangrove Capital Africa programme: https://www.wetlands.org/blog/wetlands-international-mangrove-conservation-and-restoration-practice-in-africa/. In addition, Wetlands International is a core partner of The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) which have in collaboration with the UN Climate Change High-level Champions launched the “Mangrove Breakthrough” at COP27, a world-wide collaboration for mangrove conservation and restoration, see https://www.mangrovealliance.org/news/the-mangrove-breakthrough/ for more information.

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  • Rehan Merchant

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    63 w

    In Bandra, Mumbai, India we have a small 1.2 kilometer stretch of mangroves which grew all on their in the past 60 years. From small shrubs in the 60's they grew to 70 feet tall large mangrove trees of all three species like RED, BLACK and WHITE mangroves. The number of leaves, shedded bark and seeds they produce are very large in number but all that does not become part of the soil in the mangroves as MOST OF IT gets washed away to the shoreline or dragged into the sea rather than becoming NUTRIENTS within the soil. One of the reasons why this particular mangrove grew up so fast in the past 60 years and still survives DESPITE THE PLASTICS entangled within its ROOTS and Branches, is due to accumulation of SILT, CLAY and SAND trapped by the FISHING POND WALLS created by the indigenous fishermen. The fishermen had built a very large line of stone walls in a shape of a LARGE SEMICIRLE from the shoreline spanning almost a kilometer into the sea and back to the shoreline. These walls were built between naturally existing HIGH VOLCANIC ROCKS and they placed thousands of HIGH DENSITY sea rocks forming LONG WALLS from one set of high boulders of PERMANANT VOLCANIC ROCKS to another. Over many decades the rocks got FUSED BY CLAM SHELLS and they still exist after almost a century when the fishermen had built them. Its these WALLS that trapped the SILT, CLAY and SAND creating a WETLAND where none existed before. Once the wetland had sufficient SOIL trapped the dead leaves, shedded bark and seeds got trapped into the soil and these mangroves then GREW very rapidly from the 1990's till date. But now their growth is SATURATED but the SOIL in the wetland continues to grow and it will evolve by growing larger and deeper with more nutrients and soil accumulation and mangroves will continue to grow, if not rapidly like they did in the past 60 years but at least at a slower rate.

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    • Susan Patricia Morgan

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      64 w

      A great initiative. I wish you well.

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      • Wetlands International

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        64 w

        Thanks for your positive reactions and for sharing concerns that we have to move fast, including in Kenya! Yes, we need to scale up mangrove restoration rapidly and do this in collaboration with all players as mentioned in the replies. It should also be based on best practice, which means move away from mass planting, which has success rates as low as 10-20% and do not reinstate functionality and connectivity. Wetlands International already works in various other locations in Asia and in both West and East Africa. See for instance our work in in Guinea Bissau: https://www.wetlands.org/casestudy/mangrove-restoration-to-plant-or-not-to-plant/ and our work to facilitate knowledge exchange under the Mangrove Capital Africa programme: https://www.wetlands.org/blog/wetlands-international-mangrove-conservation-and-restoration-practice-in-africa/. In addition, Wetlands International is a core partner of The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) which have in collaboration with the UN Climate Change High-level Champions launched the “Mangrove Breakthrough” at COP27, a world-wide collaboration for mangrove conservation and restoration, see https://www.mangrovealliance.org/news/the-mangrove-breakthrough/ for more information.

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        • Rehan Merchant

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          63 w

          @wetlands_international totally agree that wetland conservation or creation is the KEY as mangrove seeds come floating in by the sea currents and if wetland conditions are right the seeds will automatically germinate. Planting hundreds of saplings even in an existing wetland WILL NOT SURVIVE if conditions of wetland does not have large amount of CLAY, biological matter of decomposed sea organisms, dead leaves, bark and decomposed wood from the mamgroves as a part of the SOIL. This means that a THROUGH study of how the SILT, SAND, CLAP and DECOMPOSED sea organism and NUTRIENTS produced by mangroves get trapped within the soil. If the wetland soil increases in area, depth as well as in decomposed matter the seeds will auomatically get lodged within it, germinate and survive. If TOO much fine silica and sand content is present due to the CLAY and Nutrients getting washed away during the FORCEFULL MONSOONS TIDES the wetland will not evolve and grow NOR WILL THE SAPLINGS SURVIVE. SO CONSERVATION AND CREATION OF WETLANDS IS THE KEY TO INCREASING GROWTH OF MANGROVES. After all you cannot grow trees without soil or you cannot have healthy trees with unhealty soil. Take care of the SOIL and trees and especially MANGROVES will grow rapidly. If conditions are right MANGROVES can even be very invasive and grow in river deltas which are blocked by ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION along river banks.

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          • Patrick Kiash

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            61 w

            @wetlands_international Great work! I love your restoration programs, keep it up.

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            • Lucinda Ramsay

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              55 w

              @wetlands_international this is so important for everyone on the planet.

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            • Sarah Chabane

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              64 w

              Wetlands international is doing an incredible job!

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              • Jane Wangui

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                44 w

                @sarah_chabane they should be applauded

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              • We Don't Have Time

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                64 w

                Dear Jacqueline Marchelli Thank you for getting your climate love to level 2! We have reached out to Wetlands International and requested a response. I will keep you updated on any progress! /Adam We Don't Have Time

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                • Peter Kamau

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                  65 w

                  I applaud that endeavor and I'm happy to learn of Wetlands International.. However I'd like to encourage or even challenge this body to fast track it's operations across the globe and work with the relevant government agencies,indipedent organizations,local authorities as well the communities living around wetlands and ensure that these phenomenal water bodies are gazetted and are protected accordingly.It's perturbing to learn how most of them are at the verge of drying up in most parts of Kenya following encroachment by farmers and it's more perturbing to watch them vanish.

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                  • Wandera Martha

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                    51 w

                    @peter_kamau Love the thought

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                  • walter lungayi

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                    65 w

                    That's a great idea

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                    • Elizabeth Gathigia

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                      65 w

                      Mangrove forest will act as a habitat for marine an d also farmers will also benefit because the trees will protect erosion and their pods conditions will improve as well

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                      • Kamau WA Githinji

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                        65 w

                        the scenery is so beautiful .

                        4
                        • Annett Michuki..

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                          65 w

                          Mangroves restoration will guard marine life

                          6
                          • Jane Wangui

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                            44 w

                            @annett_michuki some of this plants should be left in their natural environment

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