Indonesia is blessed with rich biodiversity and is home to the world’s third largest rainforest reserve. As one of the country’s largest corporations and a member of the Indonesian business community, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas is doing its part to support the government in protecting and preserving this biodiversity treasure throve by working with local NGOs as well as other corporations to achieve positive outcomes on these fronts.
One such partnership is in enhancing the role of the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve (MAWR) and restoring the mangrove ecosystem in Jakarta. Multiple parties are involved in this endeavor, including APP Sinar Mas, Indofood, Djarum, HSBC, and Chevron which contribute financial support to help undertake the conservation work necessary over a 5-year period from 2018 to 2023.
The financial support contributes to strengthening the area management plan and increasing the capacity of human resources of the parties in the context of mangrove restoration and the development of the MAWR as an environmental education center. It also helps raise public awareness among residents in and visitors to Jakarta about the area’s mangrove ecosystem conservation.
These actions are intended to address systemic issues and contribute to delivering forest positive goals such as conservation, restoration, inclusion of farmers and communities, and landscape-level multi-stakeholder platforms and partnerships.
MAWR is the smallest wildlife reserve in Indonesia, and is a conservation area located in Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, in North Jakarta. Mangroves in the Jakarta Bay area are under extreme threat from land-use change, as evidenced by high rates of mangrove degradation since the 1980s.
The project is co-led by Jakarta’s Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Jakarta) and Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), with the two parties collaborating to support the management of MAWR. The aim is not only to establish an environmental education center but more importantly to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities by promoting an effective management plan.
To achieve this, several program activities have been implemented including training to enhance the management capabilities of wildlife reserve staff and capacity building; construction of facilities and infrastructure such as a watchtower, boardwalk, dock, and education center; and the conduct of regular research that also supports educational content and activities.
All these are supplemented by integrated mangrove ecosystem restoration efforts which ranges from controlling more than 18,000m2 of invasive plants, improving hydrology, establishing a mangrove/ficus nursery, and planting of mangrove.
As of today, more than 40 mounds have been prepared for seeding while the Ficus nursery is almost completely ready.
The collaborative management of MAWR and mangrove protection and restoration show a clear link with shared landscape-level goals developed through multi-stakeholder processes. By partnering communities and local NGOs in supporting the national mangrove ecosystem restoration efforts, APP Sinar Mas is steadfast in its belief that they have strategic value in helping Indonesia achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution on climate change.