Although many researches have shown that mangrove gives potential contributions for carbon emissions reduction, Indonesia not fully ready to certify carbon. The problem is, the current mangrove program yet have unified calculation.
Deputy Assistant of Coastal and Marine Environmental Degradation Control, Ministry of Environment, Nursiwan Taqim said, the last three years mangrove certification program known as Rantai Emas (Rehabilitasi Pantai Entaskan Masyarakat) begins. The process is now entering the phase of agreement and assignment procedure more detail. “Possibly next year this program applied and can be implemented,” he said.
Rantai Emas Programs include the establishment of community groups to fledgling, seedling and protecting mangrove. The government expects the program is replicated in other regions and the government would find anyone who is ready to become a financier.
Further, Nursiwan reveals, through the certification program, the Ministry of the environment trying to calculate the amount of emissions absorbed by the total area of mangrove forests that have been rehabilitated and preserved by the community in that program. Generally Indonesia expects the carbon emission reduction is 26 percent by 2020. About 87 percent of them derived from forestry sector including mangrove.
Meanwhile, Director of Wetlands International Indonesia I Nyoman Suryadiputra to Ekuatorial confirms that carbon deposit in mangrove forest very large. “Most of the carbon stored under mangrove forests, so when the mangroves cut down then the CO2 absorbent machines disappeared and the soil below cracked.”
As a comparison, one hectare of forest in good condition can hold 200-250 tons of carbon. Mangrove, although its deposit approximately the same, but it also had the capacity to store carbon in forest floors. Mangrove has a total reserve up to 1,023 tons of carbon per hectare. That capacity, said Nyoman, haven’t added by the latest findings of potential mangrove from researchers. I.e. some of Indonesia’s mangroves growing on peat layer and if the depth of the peat reaches 4-6 meters it can store about 1,600 carbon per hectare. Nyoman gave the example that this condition can be seen in the nature reserve of Tanjung Panjang, Gorontalo.
That’s why, Nyoman confirms that the damage of mangrove means the release of emissions into the atmosphere and massive environmental damage. Ratih Rimayanti.