EMPOWER WOMEN GROUPS ON MANGROVE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS PROCESSING

Mangrove conservation and sustainable products processing

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  More than 3.3 million ha of mangrove forests lie along Indonesia’s coastline, accounting for about 23% of all mangrove ecosystems globally. Unfortunately, the mangrove area in the country has been declining rapidly with a rate of 52,000 ha/year. With government announcing the ambitious National Mangrove Program to rehabilitate 600,000 ha of degraded mangrove by 2024, the Yagasu Foundation, a non-government organization in Indonesia is exploring the community-based conservation mechanism to balan
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  147500

  In virtue of scientific measurements and baseline surveys, the team identified the project sites of community mangrove lands, selected the mangrove seedlings best suited for the restoration sites, and calculated the number of seedlings needed per planting plot. Local communities received working contracts on planting and nursing mangroves. In total, 147,500 seedlings were planted by 96 local people in 5 villages, covering an area of 59 ha.
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  1000

  The Community Patrol Unit (CPU), composed of residents and supervised by the Forest Ranger and Local Police, has been set up to conduct 15 times of routine patrol to conserve over 1,000 ha of existing mangroves. The restored mangrove ecosystem ensures stable and sustainable commercial aquaculture production, making the family gain an average of 283 USD per month, 49% more than their monthly income before the project.
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  Yagasu also organized various capacity-building and training workshops for fishing families, especially women members, to process mangrove fruits (such as the Avicennia marina, commonly known as grey mangrove) to become an alternative food source in the form of mangrove fruit powder. It can be made as cookies, candies, and other desserts. Indigenous women have also been invited to attend batik workshops and taught to make organic mangrove batik.