{"id":8240,"date":"2025-07-11T15:21:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T07:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blue-forests.org\/?p=8240"},"modified":"2025-07-11T15:34:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T07:34:50","slug":"from-a-drowned-garden-new-hope-grows-mangrove-rehabilitation-lessons-from-indragiri-hilir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blue-forests.org\/en\/from-a-drowned-garden-new-hope-grows-mangrove-rehabilitation-lessons-from-indragiri-hilir\/newsroom\/story-from-the-field\/","title":{"rendered":"From a Drowned Garden, New Hope Grows: Mangrove Rehabilitation Lessons from Indragiri Hilir"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coconut plantations salinized by seawater are now overgrown by mangrove ecosystems (Blue Forests)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The day was beginning to shine brightly. The seawater was receding, flowing slowly down the river towards the open water. At the riverside jetty in Parit 18, Sapat Village, a group of fishermen arrive. That morning, in early July 2025, they were preparing to conduct monitoring at the mangrove rehabilitation site located on the former coconut plantation that had been salinized by seawater.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most community members present, both men and women, have been involved since the beginning of the mangrove rehabilitation project in Parit 18 in 2022. The agreement to carry out rehabilitation originated from the agreement of Andi Masrapi, a coconut plantation landowner affected by seawater salinization. He is willing to open his land to be facilitated by Yayasan Hutan Biru to restore the ecological and economic functions of the land that has been damaged and lost its productivity. During the FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent) session, Andi Masrapi, a coconut farmer and fisherman who also collects catches, agreed to have his 10.6 hectares of coconut plantation land rehabilitated into a mangrove ecosystem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hundreds of hectares of coconut plantations in Sapat Village, Indragiri Hilir, have been severely damaged by seawater intrusion. The declining function of the mangrove ecosystem as a natural protective (green belt), coupled with the collapse of artificial dykes, accelerated the damage to the community’s coconut plantations. Indragiri Hilir Regency has mangrove rehabilitation potential, characterized by two main typologies: logged-over open land and seawater-infiltrated coconut plantations (Yusran Nurdin Massa, 2024).<\/span><\/p>\n

Andi Masrapi, one of the local farmers, said that tens of hectares of his coconut plantations have been damaged and no longer producing since 2015. Since then, his plantation has been rapidly infiltrated by seawater. The substrate became mud and turned into mangrove habitat. “I tried to build a safety embankment, but sea water kept coming in from the neighboring river. So my garden was not saved,” recalls Masrapi, recalling her struggle ten years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Behind the bitter memories and resignation over the destruction of his vast coconut plantation, Andi Masrapi sees a glimmer of a new economic opportunity. His plantation, which has now become a muddy stretch of land, is slowly starting to grow mangroves naturally, although some spots still appear empty and reluctant to be colonized by mangrove plants. From this condition, Andi Masrapi began to switch professions to become a fisherman, utilizing the presence of fishery biota and mangrove crabs (Scylla sp.) that live around his land. Unlike other residents who chose to move after their settlements and gardens were damaged, Masrapi decided to stay. He invited his family and some of the remaining residents to become fishermen. Now, as a landowner, Andi Masrapi takes on the role of a fisheries collector\u2014a profession he has worked in and maintained to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Implementation of ecological mangrove rehabilitation in salinized coconut plantations<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Yayasan Hutan Biru facilitates and guides the implementation of Ecological Mangrove Rehabilitation (EMR). At the former coconut plantation in Parit 18, the rehabilitation process was carried out in a participatory manner, beginning with an assessment of the ecological and hydrological conditions. Ecologically, this land is situated near a pristine reference forest area and has the potential to serve as a source of mangrove propagules or seedlings, with Sonneratia caseolaris being the dominant species. This type of mangrove is called pedada by the local community. From a hydrological aspect, there is a straight artificial water channel that was previously used to facilitate the distribution of coconut harvests. In the preparation phase, tertiary channel mapping was also conducted, which plays a crucial role in distributing natural seedlings evenly to all rehabilitation points.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of 2022, mangrove rehabilitation was implemented by applying various techniques, such as the removal of invasive Acrostichum sp. (known locally as piyai), nursery and planting of different mangrove species, seed stocking, and transplanting (wildling). These various approaches are used as an effort to enrich Community learning about more varied and adaptive rehabilitation methods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the implementation of the rehabilitation, the landowners and local communities are involved in regular monitoring activities every three to six months. From a scientific perspective, monitored by the Blue Forest Foundation, the monitoring results indicate positive progress, although it remains limited. The number of individual mangroves, ranging from seedlings and saplings to mature trees, varies from 100 to 400 individuals per hectare. This figure is still far from the ideal target set by the Blue Forest Foundation, which is 1,250 individuals per hectare, as the standard of natural mangrove growth in a healthy forest.<\/span><\/p>\n

The process of monitoring the progress of mangrove rehabilitation was carried out in a participatory manner with the community of Parit 18, Sapat Village (Blue Forests)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Testing the Large Woody Debris (LWD) technique<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A year after implementation, the slow growth of mangroves prompted a mid-term correction. This participatory phase was conducted in November 2023. In the process, the community was invited to utilize local resources, namely dead coconut trunks, to overcome ecological challenges on the ground. The coconut trunks were used to block the strong tidal flow in the straight secondary channel. Due to its straight shape, this channel causes tidal currents to flow swiftly, eroding mud sediments at several points along its length. This silt erosion is the primary cause of mangrove growth failure in certain areas, where even after a year of rehabilitation, the land remains barren.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rehabilitation technique applied is known as Large Woody Debris (LWD) and is being applied at 40 points in six secondary channels located in the salinized coconut plantation. The idea of using the LWD technique was presented by Ben Brown, founder of the Blue Forest Foundation and an expert in ecological mangrove rehabilitation. This proposal received a positive response from the landowner and community of Parit 18. They were not only willing to provide dead coconut trunks as the primary material but were also directly involved in the installation process. The coconut trunks were installed across the center of the channel and reinforced with nibung tree stakes to keep them stable against tidal currents. The application of the LWD technique is expected to improve hydrological conditions in the rehabilitation area. This initiative is a clear example of the meeting between scientific approaches and local knowledge in mangrove rehabilitation efforts at the site level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Application of large woody debris (LWD) technique in November 2023 at the mangrove rehabilitation site in Parit 18, Sapat Village (Blue Forests)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The results of applying the LWD technique proved to be effective. In the salinized coconut grove, the LWD structure successfully slowed tidal currents in the straight secondary channel. This slowing of the current helped the channel banks resist sediment erosion, thereby preventing soil loss that had previously constrained the growth of mangroves. Interestingly, at some points, the secondary channels began to form natural bends that resembled the hydrological patterns typical of mangrove forests. Additionally, small tertiary channels started to form naturally, providing new pathways for water to flow. Along these channels, natural recruits of mangrove seedlings, especially of the Sonneratia caseolaris and Nypa fruticans species, are visible, originating from the supply of natural propagules from the reference forest and surrounding land, which is now growing increasingly dense.<\/span><\/p>\n

The results of monitoring mangrove rehabilitation that is carried out routinely every six months to one year show a significant increase in the number of mangrove individuals. At T0+21 months after rehabilitation, 1,688 mangrove individuals per hectare were recorded, and this increased to 1,808 individuals per hectare at T0+27. This exceeded the ideal mangrove growth target of 1,250 individuals per hectare. The rehabilitated land in Trench 18 is now dominated by Sonneratia caseolaris, with a high diversity of other mangrove species, including the rare Kandelia candel species. This achievement reflects the success of the ecological approach applied at the site.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ecological development of mangrove growth at one point in the mangrove rehabilitation site in Parit 18, Sapat Village (Blue Forests)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The role of local communities in ensuring the success of mangrove rehabilitation<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The active role of landowners and the community of Parit 18 is a crucial factor in maintaining consistent mangrove growth in the coconut plantation that has been affected by seawater salinization. They realize that the transition from land to a mangrove ecosystem is not just an ecological adaptation but also a new form of local economic resilience, a form of resilience to the impacts of natural disasters that they collectively adjust and reshape.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the rehabilitation program began in 2022, the community also designated a 22-hectare area of river and land as a temporary closure zone. For a specific period, this area is prohibited from use, including a ban on fishing activities, harvesting mangrove crabs, or cutting young mangroves, as part of a joint commitment to provide maximum ecological recovery space.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We have put a prohibition sign there (mangrove rehabilitation site). If (the prohibition) is opened, you can install pento, crab snares. But only for a short time. After that, it is no longer allowed. We close it again,” explained Ahmadun, one of the residents of Parit 18 who is active in conservation activities at the site level.<\/span><\/p>\n

The utilization of the closure area and mangrove rehabilitation land in Trench 18 is limited and occurs only occasionally, for short periods of time, before being routinely and strictly closed again. Monitoring of the closure area is carried out directly by the local community on an intensive and ongoing basis. There have been violations by fishermen or outsiders who attempted to take advantage of the temporary closure area, but the community quickly addressed these. “When fishermen are fishing or residents who try to cut down, we immediately reprimand them. We explain that this location is closed and guarded,” said Andi Masrapi, a landowner who is trusted to be in charge of land conservation in Parit 18.<\/span><\/p>\n

Andi Masrapi and the community of Parit 18 installed mangrove rehabilitation signs to secure the mangrove rehabilitation site in Parit 18, Sapat Village (Blue Forests)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The ecological transformation of coconut plantations into mangrove forests through an ecology-based rehabilitation approach has brought changes to the residents of Parit 18. This action not only restores the environment but also creates new activities for the community. Many residents now feel more comfortable working as fishermen as well as collectors of fisheries products from the river and the recovering mangrove area. The number of people living along the banks of small rivers has also increased. New traditional houses have sprung up on the left and right banks, signaling a resurgence of economic activity at the local level that is growing in tandem with ecological recovery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2024, various institutions and individuals have played an active role in supporting initiatives in Trench 18. The Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) is present through the M4CR program, which combines land rehabilitation activities with efforts to strengthen community livelihoods. KPH Mandah has also taken on a similar role. Support comes not only from institutions but also from the private sector. Currently, a fisheries entrepreneur has collaborated with Andi Masrapi to develop mangrove crab aquaculture. This business aims to become a direct supplier of fishery products to various regions, including Batam, Medan, and export markets in neighboring countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

The restored mangrove ecosystem is now a source of livelihood for communities that were previously vulnerable to the impacts of disasters due to climate change. Resilience in this coastal area was born from collective awareness and understanding of the importance of protecting the environment as a basis for economic and social resilience. Mangroves are not only a natural buffer but also the foundation of a more resilient future for coastal communities.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coconut plantations salinized by seawater are now overgrown by mangrove ecosystems (Blue Forests) The day was beginning to shine brightly. The seawater was receding, flowing slowly down the river towards the open water. At the riverside jetty in Parit 18, Sapat 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