Strategies to Improve Management of Indonesia’s Blue Carbon Seagrass Habitats in Marine Protected Areas
Husen Rifai, Udhi Eko Hernawan, Firman Zulpikar, Calvyn F. A. Sondak, Rohani Ambo‐Rappe, Nurul Dhewani Mirah Sjafrie, Andri Irawan, Hadi Yoga Dewanto, Yusmiana P. Rahayu, Jeverson Reenyan, Muhammad Safaat, La Ode Alifatri, Susi Rahmawati, Amehr Hakim, Andi Rusandi, Mintje Wawo
Abstract
Indonesia’s seagrass habitats play an important role in the fight against climate change since they store a significant portion of the world’s blue carbon. Despite progress in conservation efforts and increasing number of Indonesia’s marine protected areas (MPAs), these habitats are generally still under multitude of pressures leading to declining condition. Thus, there is a growing need to improve the conservation management of seagrass habitats, especially within MPAs in Indonesia. Here, we identify five challenges on managing seagrass meadows in Indonesia’s MPAs: (1) Achieving societal awareness on the importance of seagrasses in Indonesia’ MPAs; (2) Achieving fair recognition from the management authority of Indonesia’s MPAs; (3) Obtaining political initiatives related to laws and regulations on seagrass management; (4) Providing empirical data on seagrass habitats at national level repeated over time; and (5) Enhancing capacity to conduct community-based management of seagrasses. Then, we propose a series of solutions to solve these challenges. We believe that all stakeholders need to work collaboratively to secure the future of Indonesia’s seagrass habitats and maintain their capacity to deliver significant ecosystem services.