Indonesia's 10 Islands with the Largest Mangrove Conservation Areas

Papua has the largest mangrove ecosystem in Indonesia. This can be seen from the fact that Papua's mangrove conservation area reached 514,176 hectares (ha) in 2021.

The next largest mangrove conservation area is located on the island of Sumatra, covering 129,615 ha.

The next largest mangrove conservation areas are in Kalimantan (60,939 ha) and Sulawesi (13,509 ha). Maluku and Nusa Tenggara follow, with 6,991 ha and 6,664 ha respectively.

Java has a mangrove conservation area of 6,191 ha. Finally, Bali has the smallest mangrove conservation area in Indonesia, covering 1,282 ha.

For information, according to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 24 of 2016 concerning the Procedure for the Rehabilitation of Coastal and Small Island Areas, a conservation area is a part of the coastal and small island areas that has certain characteristics. This forms a single ecosystem that is protected, preserved, and/or sustainably utilized to realize the management of coastal and small island areas.

Mangroves are among the protected species within conservation areas. One form of protection is rehabilitation, which includes enriching natural resources, habitat improvement, protection to allow natural growth and development, and environmentally friendly practices.