North Sumatra Develops Long-Term Strategy for Mangrove Ecosystem Management

North Sumatra is launching a strategic initiative to bolster its coastal ecosystem protection through the comprehensive planning and management of its mangrove forests. The province has officially begun the process of developing a Protection and Management Plan for the Province's Mangrove Ecosystem (RPPEM).

This new approach shifts from fragmented management based on administrative borders to a landscape-based strategy, viewing mangrove ecosystems as interconnected units influenced by land, sea, and river dynamics. North Sumatra possesses 62,375 hectares of mangroves, a significant portion of Indonesia's national total, making its effective management crucial.

The urgency for this plan stems from the serious threats facing these mangrove areas, primarily due to land-use conversion. The Head of the North Sumatra Environmental and Forestry Agency, Heri Wahyudi Marpaung, emphasized that the RPPEM must tackle land-use conflicts while simultaneously enhancing the economic well-being of communities dependent on mangroves. "We are not just protecting the ecosystem, but also how to bring economic value that can be felt by all managing community groups in North Sumatra," he stated.

Marpaung also highlighted the importance of post-planting monitoring and evaluation to ensure the long-term success of mangrove rehabilitation programs. The RPPEM aims to improve inter-agency data synchronization, prevent overlapping permits, and foster more transparent governance using the National Mangrove Map 2025 as a unified reference. This aims to close loopholes for illegal activities along the coast.

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We are not just protecting the ecosystem, but also how to bring economic value that can be felt by all managing community groups in North Sumatra. The challenge is to make social mangrove forests have real economic value, for example through access to business capital or SME development.