Indonesia is set to establish an international mangrove research center in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the upcoming 2023 UN climate summit in Dubai, according to the Indonesian envoy in Abu Dhabi. This initiative, known as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, was inaugurated by the UAE and Indonesia at COP27, the UN climate summit held in Egypt in November 2022. The alliance aims to advance nature-based solutions for addressing climate change-related challenges and has garnered support from other nations, including Australia and India.
Husin Bagis, the Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE, expressed strong support for such initiatives, citing their potential to mitigate emissions through mangrove planting. He emphasized the UAE’s keen interest in assisting Indonesia in enhancing its mangrove ecosystems, with the plan to officially launch the mangrove research center at COP28.
The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, or COP28, is scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai this year.
Southeast Asia boasts the world’s most extensive mangrove ecosystems, with Indonesia alone accounting for approximately one-fifth of the global total. Mangroves offer a range of climate change benefits, including their capacity to sequester significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, storing them in their carbon-rich, waterlogged soils for extended periods.
However, the region has faced challenges in conserving mangroves, with protection rates hovering around 20 percent, often giving way to losses due to activities like rice and palm oil production, as revealed in a 2022 report by the Global Mangrove Alliance.
During the inaugural technical meeting of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate in New York, Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to the initiative, positioning mangroves as a nature-based solution to combat climate change. Nani Hendiarti, the deputy of environmental and forestry management at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, highlighted the multifaceted advantages of mangroves, encompassing ecological, social, and economic benefits for coastal communities.
The proposed international mangrove research center is envisioned to serve as a hub for capacity-building, collaborative research in mangrove innovation and biotechnology, as well as the preservation of mangrove biodiversity.
Hendiarti anticipates the formal launch of this collaborative effort between Indonesia and the UAE under the Mangrove Alliance for Climate and the International Mangrove Research Center at COP28 in Dubai, marking a significant commitment to addressing climate change on a global scale.
Dr. Agus Sari, CEO of the environmental advisory agency Landscape Indonesia and a former senior adviser to the UN Development Program, lauded the Indonesia-UAE mangrove alliance, emphasizing the importance of conserving existing mangrove forests and rehabilitating degraded ones. Given Indonesia’s pivotal role as the world’s largest mangrove area, Sari stressed the need for Indonesia to leverage its position effectively in the market.
Source: Arab News