Topic 4: Terrestrial influences on mangrove ecology and sustainability of their resources (TIMES)

Indonesia has by far the largest area (3,062 km2, 19%) and the highest loss rate (50,000 ha yr-1) of mangroves worldwide (FAO, 2007). Mangrove forests provide important ecosystem functions and services, as a feeding and nursery ground for fish, shrimp and mud crabs, for coastal protection, as carbon sink, and as food and income source vital both for local communities and national economies. The drivers behind the loss of mangrove forests are both of terrestrial and marine origin and include their conversion into fish and shrimp aquaculture ponds as well as unsustainable forest uses. In addition, unsustainable agriculture and forestry in their watersheds can have a strong impact on mangrove forests, mainly through sedimentation and pollution. The Segara Anakan lagoon, Central Java, and its associated watershed is a prime example illustrating these processes and related management challenges. The area has been the subject of numerous management interventions for decades which however met with limited success and were based on insufficient research results and misleading perceptions of problems.

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