Indonesia

Our focus in Indonesia is replanting mangrove forests and tropical forests to rejuvenate the vast and vital wetland ecosystems – an incredibly biodiverse chain of 17,000 islands that is home to 25% of the world’s fish population. This project includes conservation education in schools to empower new generations to protect this crucial ecosystem.

The challenge

In the last 30 years, Indonesia has lost 40% of its mangrove forests. Indonesia’s wonderfully biodiverse wetland ecosystems are comprised of mangrove forests, coral reefs and vast expanses of seagrass. Over six million acres of these wetlands are being destroyed every year directly impacting the livelihoods of rural Indonesians who rely on the ecosystems for their survival.

 

Our action

Our efforts in Indonesia are employing and empowering locals to take ownership of these rehabilitation projects. Beyond the tree planting, we are funding school programs to educate future generations about the importance of rejuvenating and protecting their wetland ecosystems.

Working with local communities on Biak Island and West Java, we have begun re-planting the coastal mangrove forests to rejuvenate and protect tsunami-damaged shorelines, and reforesting tropical forests cut down for timber and slash and burn agriculture.