Mangrove deforestation and degradation areas in Indonesia 2009-2019

Mangrove forests are important carbon sinks and this is especially true
for Indonesia where about 24% of the world’s mangroves exist. 
Unfortunately, vast expanses of these mangroves have been deforested,
degraded or converted to other uses resulting in significant greenhouse
gas emissions. The objective of this study was to quantify the climate
change mitigation potential of mangrove conservation and restoration in
Indonesia. We calculated the emission factors from the dominant land uses
in mangroves, determined mangrove deforestation rates and quantified the
total emissions and the potential emission reductions that could be
achieved from mangrove conservation and restoration.  Based upon
our analysis of the carbon stocks and emissions from land use in mangroves
we found: (1) Indonesia’s mangrove ecosystem carbon stocks are amongst the
highest of any tropical forest type; (2) mangrove deforestation results in
greenhouse gas emissions that far exceed that of upland tropical
deforestation; (3) in the last decade the rates of deforestation in
Indonesian mangroves have remained high; and (4) conservation and
restoration of mangroves promise to sequester significant quantities of
carbon.  While mangroves comprise only ≈2.6% of Indonesia’s total
forest area, their degradation and deforestation accounted for ≈10% of
total greenhouse gas emissions arising from the forestry sector. The large
source of greenhouse gas emissions from a relatively small proportion of
the forest area underscores the value for inclusion of mangroves as a
natural climate solution (NCS). Mangrove conservation is far more
effective than mangrove restoration in carbon emissions reductions and an
efficient pathway to achieve Indonesia’s nationally determined
contribution (NDC) targets. The potential emission reduction from halting
deforestation of primary and secondary mangroves coupled with restoration
activities could result in an emission reduction equivalent to 8%
of Indonesia’s 2030 NDC emission reduction targets from the forestry
sector.