Mangroves and Development in Indonesia - Case Study Example

Mangroves and development in Indonesia Introduction Mangrove forests are the points where the oceans, land realms and fresh water meet. The mangroves are among the most complex and productive ecosystems on the planet and they grow under extreme environmental conditions that would destroy other ordinary plants easily. The mangrove forests are mainly found in subtropical and tropical regions that are with 300 of the equator. The regions are characterized by frequent sea tides and are referred as tidal areas. These areas such as the marine shorelines and estuaries are inundated frequently with salt water. Mangrove forests, which are declining strongly, occupy approximately 15 million hectares of the tropical coast across the world (Ruckelshaus, Silver, Lacayo & Kareiva, 2013). They are mainly found in the following regions: Asia, Africa, Australia and America. The forests form a unique part of the ecosystem that provides essential services to the earth. They provide important services to the ecosystems that are dominated by mangrove trees as the core producer interacting with the related physical and social factors of the coast environment as well as the aquatic fauna (Dahdouh-Guebas et al., n.d.). Research indicates that the mangrove forest ecosystem comprises various protective habitants that include juveniles’ nursery, spawning grounds, and feeding grounds that are secure for different organisms such as shrimp, crab, fish and mollusk (The Worlds Mangroves 1980-2005, 2007). Furthermore, the mangrove ecosystem provides sanctuary for migratory and indigenous birds. The mangrove forests are not free from human destruction and intervention just like other coastal ecosystems. Traditionally, the small communities at the coastal regions managed the forests at a sustainable level. However, the intense utilization of the forests has resulted in a steadily worsening state of the forests. In addition, the mangrove ecosystem has become an easy source of wood for construction and fueling as well as the waste disposal and production of food (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). This report examines various aspects of reclaiming the mangrove forests in the coastal region of Indonesia. It provides an overview of the coastal region as well as the management concepts that are utilized during the conservation process. There is also an evaluation of the stakeholders involved in the process as well as their role and importance in the implementation of the project (Arifin, 2004). Kepulauan Seribu Mangrove Forests Kepulauan Seribu Mangrove Forest refers to a narrow fringe that comprises of tidally inundated vegetation. The vegetation extends approximately 80 kilometers of the Jakarta bay at the coast of Jarkarta in Indonesia. The report provides a plan for the management of mangrove forest in the region of Jakarta, Indonesia. The Indonesian coastline is approximately 81,000 km in length and it comprises of about 17,000 islands. The country has various coastal ecosystems that support different species and provide various services to the habitants and the community. The main ecosystem of the Indonesian coastline entails the coral reefs, mangrove forests, algal beds, seagrass-beds, estuaries, mudflats and beach vegetation. The coastal ecosystem in the country faces various challenges due to different human activities (Arifin, 2004). The factors that promote the destruction of the coastline ecosystem in Indonesia include population growth, high population density, effects of tourisms and the high rates of urbanization in the region. Other essential issues facing the coastal ecosystem in the country include coastal, marine and land based pollution as well as degradation and depletion of resources. Moreover, the productivity and health of the coastal waters has reduced significantly due to the effects of climate change and marine based pollution. The initiatives for managing the mangrove forest in the region involve various government agencies, which are critical for overlapping the jurisdiction confusion. In this case, all the mangrove management activities are supported legally and defined on the basis of sectors (Arifin, 2004). The mangrove forest in Kepulauan Seribu is regarded as a natural reserve in order to promote the conservation of the mangrove ecosystem in the region. Despite various efforts to conserve and manage the forest, there is a vast depletion of the mangroves in the region due to the increase the human population. In this case, the conservation of the mangrove forest in the region should be achieved through active management and protection rather than manipulation of the habitants (Ruckelshaus, Silver, Lacayo & Kareiva, 2013). The forest has been facing considerable encroachment because of the increase in the population density in the region. In addition, the rate of urbanization in the neighboring areas promotes tourism activities such as construction of resorts in the forests hence leading to depletion of the forests. The process of managing the mangrove forest in Kepulauan Seribu is an important initiative because it promotes conservation of the coastal ecosystem. The management will involve the local population that is crucial in providing reliable information regarding various factors affecting the ecosystem in the region. The mangrove forest in Kepulauan Seribu is economically important for the local population as well as the Indonesian authorities. The forest provides habitant to various animal and plant species, which are an integral part of tourist attraction in the region (The Worlds Mangroves 1980-2005, 2007). The Kepulauan Seribu, region of Indonesia faces the challenges of the occurrence of Tsunamis that impact on the mangrove population. Moreover, the occurrence of heavy erosions in the region also affects the efforts by the government and local population to manage the ecosystem effectively. The management of the mangrove forest at the coastal of Indonesia requires an insight into the effects of Tsunami, heavy tides and erosion on the mangrove ecosystem. The destruction of the environment that results from the different physical forces in the region limits the efforts to increase the mangrove forest cover in Kepulauan Seribu region (Arifin, 2004). Management Challenges The initiative of managing the conservation of the mangrove forest in Kepulauan Seribu region entails various aspects such as education, reservation and involvement of the local community in planting mangrove trees. There are various challenges that face the mangrove conservation management processes. The first challenge is the lack of information regarding the complete ecological functions of the mangrove forest. Most of residents of Kepulauan Seribu region have limited or no information about the role of the mangrove forest in enhancing the biophysical and coastal ecosystem in the region. The local population in the region perceives the mangroves as source of fuel and raw materials for construction, which limits the efforts by the management to engage the entire community in the conservation efforts. Furthermore, the literacy levels of the local population is low that hinders the management from providing the community with an in-depth understanding the ecosystem cycle that promotes their survival and that of other species in the region. In addition, most of the communities in the region perceive the mangroves as wetlands that promote their usage alongside other wetland plantation in the region. In this case, the local authorities have allowed the communities to use the mangrove plants for social and economical purposes, which hinder the conservation management efforts (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). Secondly, the local authorities have failed to value the mangrove forest correctly. The valuation provided to the mangrove forest is based on the local usage and production of household products. Failure by the authorities to establish the broad economic benefits of the mangroves promotes the exploitation efforts by the local communities. This aspect limits effective management of the mangrove forest because of the reluctance by the local population to participate. Providing the broad value of the mangrove forests can promote conservation efforts because the local communities will uphold the economic and ecological benefits of the forests in the region. Furthermore, the non-coincidental of benefits and costs of the mangrove is illustrated perfectly by the polluters who fail to bear the costs of their polluting activities. The pollution costs of the mangrove forests are borne by the communities that depend on the mangroves. In this case, the external costs of the pollution do not reflect on the mangroves’ products market prices. This market failure hinders effective management because of the lack of initiatives by the local authorities to promote the overall value of the mangroves and their products (Arifin, 2004). Thirdly, failure by the local authorities to intervene affects the efforts to promote mangrove conservation in the region. The initiatives for planting additional mangroves in the region lack adequate support from the government in form of legislations and policies. In this case, the laws that protect the rights of the local communities and investors to exploit the forests limit the management efforts. For Instance, investors when constructing tourists ‘resorts in the region, because of the investors’ protection legislations in the country, can destroy newly planted mangroves. Stakeholders Stakeholders are individuals who are affected or can affect the process of mangrove conservation management in the region of Kepulauan Seribu in Indonesia. There various categories of stakeholders in the conservation project. The first category of stakeholders comprises of project’s management team. The team comprises of representatives from the government and non-governmental organizations. The group encompasses the projects’ general manager, coordinators and facilitators of the projects. This category of stakeholders is primarily involved in the decision-making process of the mangrove conservation projects. In this case, they influence the activities of the project directly. The second group of stakeholders is the local community in the region of Kepulauan Seribu. The local community comprises of the fishers and residents of the region of Kepulauan Seribu. This group of the stakeholders is affected by the activities of the project. Furthermore, they are involved in the project’s implementation process. The third category of stakeholders is the investors. The investors are an integral part of the Kepulauan Seribu community in Indonesia because of the region’s dependence on tourism activities (Arifin, 2004). The investors encompassed in the project include the hotel owners, travel companies and mangrove sellers in the region. The investors are important in the implementation of the project because their activities influence the population of the mangroves in the region. Also, the conservation of the mangrove forest is geared towards promoting the tourism and mangrove based industries in the country (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). The final group of stakeholders is the project’s financiers. The financiers of the project are integral to the implementation and running of the project. The decisions of the financiers influence the activities of the project directly. Table 1: Stakeholders Topology The topology of the Project’s Stakeholders Category Salience Attributes Project’s Stakeholders Latent stakeholders Low Legitimacy Government, Project managers, investors, community and Financiers Power Government, Project managers, Financiers Urgency Expectant stakeholders Moderate Power and Legitimacy Government, Project managers, Legitimacy and urgency Community, Investors Power and urgency Government, Project managers, community and Financiers Definitive stakeholders High power, legitimacy and urgency Government, Project managers and Financiers Data The management of the mangrove forest in the Kepulauan Seribu islands requires adequate information regarding the regions’ environmental factors, population growth rates, economic activities and population of the mangroves in the region. This information is essential when making decisions regarding the appropriate approach to mangrove management in the region (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). In addition, it is useful in establish the appropriate criteria of involving the local community in the management process. The information regarding the environmental factors that influence the mangrove forests in the region is vital when strategies on how to avoid the effect of natural forces on the project (Ruckelshaus, Silver, Lacayo & Kareiva, 2013). Institutions and Governance Ministry of Forestry and Estate Crops: The ministry is in charge of promoting various activities that involve environmental conservation in the country. The ministry can setup a committee to conduct research and manage the project effectively. Donor agencies: The donor agencies in Indonesia engage in community activities such as promotion of agricultural activities and alleviation of poverty. These agencies can play a key role in the mangrove management project in order to promote agricultural and economic activities (Arifin, 2004). Management choices Management of the mangroves is one of the challenging initiatives in the Kepulauan Seribu region because of the reluctance of the population to corporate in the conservation efforts. Various management options can be effective in this region. First, involvement of the local community in the decision making process regarding the project can promote communal participation in the project. In this case, two individuals are selected to represent the interest of the community to the project managers. Furthermore, the community is involved in the various implementation aspects of the project such as planting of mangroves in the region (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). Secondly, various educational initiatives are conducted in different parts of the region to inform the community regarding the importance of preserving the mangrove forest. In this case, the locals are encouraged to replace the mangroves they cut with new ones in order to promote the continuity of the forest (Arifin, 2004). The goals of the management choices include increased forest cover and reduction in the exploitation of the mangrove forests in the region. In this case, the success of the management approaches is measured by evaluating the community’s initiative to promote continuity of the mangrove forests and reduction in the exploitation of the forests (Brown & Yuniarti, 2012). References Arifin, Z. (2004). LOCAL MILLENIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT: CONDITION AND TREND OF THE GREATER JAKARTA BAY ECOSYSTEM. Research Centre For Oceanography - LIPI, 1-25. Brown, B., & Yuniarti, W. (2012). Policy Brief: Suggested Practices for Post-Disaster Mangrove Rehabilitation. Ecosystems And Livelihoods Group, Asia, 1-29. Dahdouh-Guebas, F., Koedam, N., Lo Seen, D., Bosire, J., Di Nitto, D., & Jayatissa, L. How effective were mangroves as a defence against the recent tsunami?. Current Biology, 15(12), 443-447. Ruckelshaus, K., Silver, J., Lacayo, M., & Kareiva, P. (2013). Coastal habitats shield people and property from sea-level rise and storms. Nature And Climate Change, 3, 913-920. The Worlds Mangroves 1980-2005. (2007). FAO Forestry Paper, (1-50). Read More