In terms of climate change mitigation, mangroves serve as carbon sinks and the loss of mangrove forests can result in significant release of stored carbon. As the country in the world with the largest cover of mangrove forest, Indonesia has global significance in climate change mitigation. About 22% of mangrove forests in Indonesia are preserved in conservation areas and provide 0.82–1.09 PgC hectare⁻¹ of carbon storage. Greater potential for climate change mitigation can be achieved by increasing mangrove conservation areas that keep mangrove forests from their conversion to other land uses. Our finding confirms the importance of mangrove conservation in storing and sequestering carbon. Furthermore, as mangrove forests are associated with a diversity of ecosystem services with multiple beneficiaries, the carbon benefits will enhance the value of mangrove forest in terms of ecological, social, and economic benefits. However, prioritizing carbon benefits through the implementation of mangrove conservation as part of climate change mitigation may be conflicting with socioeconomic issues. Thus, legal frameworks and the participation of stakeholders, especially local communities, are needed to ensure that there is a net reduction in mangrove loss.

This article is categorized under: Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Conservation Strategies