Indonesia is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from 314 million tons of CO2e to 398 million tons of CO2e by 2030.
In addition to developing new and renewable energy, mangrove forest conservation holds significant potential for reducing the carbon emissions produced in Indonesia.
However, recording mangrove carbon stocks requires specialized expertise. Therefore, UGM trained 80 researchers and carbon absorption recorders from various regions across Indonesia.
“Mangroves have the potential to store carbon, acting as carbon sinks. They store carbon both in the trees and in the soil beneath. In fact, the soil holds more carbon—about 70-80 percent of the carbon absorption occurs in the soil,” said UGM Faculty of Geography lecturer Professor Muhammad Kamal.
This speech was delivered during the Ecosystem-Based Approach (Eba) Training for Mangrove Conservation and Mangrove Surface Carbon Stock Mapping to Support Indonesia’s Folu Net Sink 2030 Program at Hotel Santika Yogyakarta on Wednesday (Nov. 20).
According to Professor Kamal, mangroves’ ability to store carbon, both in the mangrove trees themselves and in the soil where they grow, makes them highly potent in reducing Indonesia’s carbon emissions.
He mentioned that Indonesia possesses significant mangrove resources that must be preserved. Mangrove forests can significantly increase carbon absorption, positioning Indonesia to play a substantial role in mitigating climate change and global warming.
However, mapping and recording the carbon stock produced by mangroves has not been fully mastered due to the need for specific skills and expertise.
“We are providing training on the ability to estimate and calculate the amount of carbon stored in mangrove trees,” said Professor Kamal.
He explained that the 80 participants, who came from various institutions, could bring the skills they had acquired back to their respective regions and use them to calculate the amount of carbon absorbed by mangroves in their areas.
This way, the reduced carbon emissions due to mangroves across various regions in Indonesia can be tracked.
Professor Kamal hopes that the preservation of mangrove trees will continue and that mangroves’ carbon absorption will become a significant contribution from Indonesia on the international stage in addressing climate change issues.
Dr. Danang Sri Hadmoko, Dean of the Faculty of Geography, noted that this training is not limited to theory and practice but also involves enhancing human resources and developing the participants’ talents.
According to him, this training is a strategic effort for Indonesia in environmental management.
“The key to this training is sustainable land management. All vegetation can thrive if the landscape is well-maintained,” said Dr. Hadmoko.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kusdamayanti, Head of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s Training Center, emphasized the importance of training in improving human resource quality.
The diversity of the training participants brings advantages as they come from various regions.
“Hopefully, the participants can apply what they have learned in their respective areas,” she said.
UGM’s Faculty of Geography, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) of the Republic of Indonesia, organized the Landscape Dynamics Modeling Training for Sustainable Environmental and Natural Resource Management.
This also included the Ecosystem-Based Approach (Eba) Training for Mangrove Conservation and Surface Carbon Stock Mapping, aimed at supporting Indonesia’s Folu Net Sink 2030 Program. The event took place at Hotel Santika and Hotel Porta on Nov.19-22, 2024.
The 4-day training consists of three days of theoretical lessons, while practical lessons will take place on the fourth day. On the third day, participants will practice data acquisition in landscape dynamic modeling. After the data collection, participants will discuss their findings.
Authors: Hanif and Tiefany
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Freepik