KKP's Director General of Marine Spatial Planning, Kartika Listriana, on Thursday explained that the designation of the locations reflects the national commitment to managing blue carbon ecosystems, protecting the environment, and improving the welfare of coastal communities.
"This will represent the national interest in managing blue carbon ecosystems," Listriana said at the National Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning in Jakarta.
She added that several locations, particularly on the northern coasts of Central Java and East java, will be prioritized for ecosystem restoration.
Blue carbon refers to carbon absorbed and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems, such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and tidal marshes.
The ecosystem have the ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere--even more so than the terrestrial forests. At least 55 percent of global carbon is absorbed by marine organism and stored long-term, both in biomass and sediment.
Blue carbon development, she continued, will also encompass other national strategic areas, such as coastal city agglomerations like Greater Jakarta, which comprises Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi.
Not only Greater Jakarta, but it will also include Gerbangkertosusila, which comprises Gresik, Bangkalan, Mojokerto, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Lamongan, as well as Kedungsepur, which comprises Kendal, Demak, Ungaran, Salatiga, Semarang, and Purwodadi, she said.
Furthermore, the KKP also plans to encourage the development of carbon-free islands in Bangka Belitung.
"Going forward, the initiatives can be planned and managed in an integrated manner, aligning with the planning priorities of each region," Listriana said.
She is optimistic that marine ecosystems, particularly seagrasses, can strengthen carbon trading while simultaneously improving community welfare.
Seagrasses have significant potential for carbon trading on the global market due to their ability to store up to 82,000 tons of CO2 per square kilometer, which the potential can be harnessed through various schemes, including voluntary carbon markets and public-private partnerships.
However, this development faces challenges because regulations are still needed to establish a standard methodology for measuring carbon in seagrass to facilitate implementation in the field, Listriana said.
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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Arie Novarina
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