Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia on Mangrove Planting with Residents at Setokok Beach, 28 September 2021, Bulang District, Batam City, Riau Islands Province

Indonesia is home to the world’s largest mangrove forest, totaling 3.36 million hectares. The country’s mangrove forests are more than 20% of the world’s mangrove areas. It means that we have a big potential from mangrove forests.

However, the most important thing is how to maintain, how to care for, how to rehabilitate the damaged ones so that our mangrove forests can be truly protected because mangroves can improve the ecosystem on the coastal areas and minimize abrasion from sea water.

The most important thing is that the habitat around the forests is also well maintained and can greatly reduce the existing carbon emissions more than tropical forests do.

So once again, as a country with the largest mangrove forests in the world, we must maintain this. After all, it is our strength. We always involve environmentalists and the fishing communities to plant, to maintain, to rehabilitate our mangrove forests.

Press:

Sir, you went down to the water to plant mangrove?

President Joko Widodo:

As everyone here is planting mangroves in the water, I follow them. No big deal. I’m OK being in the water for only 5-10 minutes.

Thank you. (EST/EP)