“Mangroves provide endless benefits for communities. They protect communities from the impact of climate change and generate income through ecotourism and its products, such as mangrove crabs, syrup and crackers. The carbon stored in mangroves can also be traded, and we ensure these benefits reach coastal communities to generate incentives for continued mangrove management,” said Nani Hendiarti, Deputy Minister for Environment Coordination and Forestry, CMMAI. “We all need to come together – the government, CSOs, private sectors, and communities – to protect mangroves for a more prosperous Indonesia.”
Citizen scientists: Leveraging the power of communities to collect national data on mangroves
In protecting mangroves, Indonesia needs accurate, integrated, and frequently updated data that can be used to track progress, prioritize actions, and communicate the value of Indonesia’s coastal ecosystems. The development of mangrove health index by the Indonesian Research Institute (LIPI) is an important milestone.
In October 2020, LIPI launched MonMang, a mobile app that enables communities to collect, process, and analyze mangroves data. Leveraging communities to monitor mangroves in their respective areas is critical, given the large extent of mangroves area in Indonesia.
Communities in coastal areas can submit real-time data on mangroves to the application, bridging the gap between citizen and lab research efforts. This data is then analyzed further to help inform the mangrove health index data.
“These communities who use MonMang, they are not only researchers, but also those who care about mangrove conservation. They use MonMang to easily analyze the health of mangroves in their respective areas,” said I Wayan Eka Dharmawan, Researcher, Oceanography Research Centre, LIPI.
MonMang, a mobile app that enables communities to collect, process, and analyze mangroves data in Indonesia.
