Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia on Mangroves Planting, 28 September 2021, at Raja Kecik Tourism Beach, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

This morning, I am in Bengkalis regency, Riau province. We just planted mangroves together with Minister of the Environment and Forestry, Head of the Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), the Regent, and the community in Bengkalis regency. We hope we can improve this area soon. We will rehabilitate the area to protect the coast from abrasion, to support ecotourism and tourism in the region. And, it is also expected to support the economy of the people around this area.

The mangrove rehabilitation will not be only in Bengkalis regency but also across the country. We really need mangrove forests since they can store fourfold to fivefold more carbon than mainland tropical forests so that it will contribute greatly to the absorption of carbon emissions.

And this action reaffirms our commitment to the Paris Agreement on global climate change. In 2021, we will carry out mangrove rehabilitation covering an area of 34 thousand hectares throughout the country.

That concludes my remarks on this auspicious occasion.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

And I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to all the people who participated in the planting activity this morning.

Thank you. (RIF/MUR)