Plant Mangroves, Save the World

G20 Summit delegations plant mangrove seeds at Tahura Ngurah Rai, Bali. A step together in protecting the Earth and everything within it.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

The Tahura Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest Conservation and Rehabilitation area, Denpasar, Bali, is seen on Thursday (10/11/2022). It will be the site of a visit by leaders at the G20 Summit as proof of Indonesia's commitment to tackling climate change.

A line of mangrove trees rustles in the wind blowing from the Muara Nusa Dua dam at the Tahura Ngurah Rai Mangrove Area, Badung, Bali, on Thursday (10/11/2022). The vibrant green color of the mangrove forest a contrast against the circular pavilion connecting the brown wooden bridge.

The mangrove forest sits like an oasis amid construction work in South Bali. Its vast greenery spanning the coast from Denpasar to Badung is akin to a green belt surrounding the land.

Its exotic look under the Bali sun may have moved President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to choose the site as one of the essential locations for the G20 High Level Conference. It is there that G20 state leaders planted mangrove tree seeds. Jokowi himself has visited the forest numerous times.

After its renovation, Tahura Ngurah Rai is finally ready to welcome G20 state leaders.

The Tahura Ngurah Rai Mangrove Area was renovated before the commencement of the G20 Summit. The park, which also serves as a tourist spot, has been temporarily closed until the end of the summit. After its renovation, Tahura Ngurah Rai is finally ready to welcome G20 state leaders.

"Tahura Ngurah Rai is beautiful now," said I Ketut Subandi, unit chief of technical implementation of Tahura Ngurah Rai Area, on Friday (11/11/2022).

Subandi added that Tahura Ngurah Rai would make its mark on the history of the G20 Summit as it is there that President Joko Widodo, together with other state leaders, will plant mangrove seeds. "This will be a global symbol," he said.

The Tahura Ngurah Rai mangroves, located in Denpasar and Badung, span a total area of 1,373.5 hectares. Over 25 types of mangroves can be found there, including 17 true mangrove species, such as Avicennia, Rhizopora, and Sonneratia.

BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN/LAILY RACHEV

President Joko Widodo dan First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo stroll through the Ngurah Rai Mangrove area, Bali, on Friday (8/10/2021).

Tahura Ngurah Rai is also known as Prapat Benoa Suwung due to the Sonneratia species found there. This site is located within Bali's tourism center, which includes Sanur, Kuta, and Nusa Dua.

After visiting the site in June 2022, President Jokowi said that the rehabilitation of the mangrove forest was concrete proof that the government is fixing the environment. "We know that mangrove forests can absorb four times more carbon than regular tropical forests," the President claimed on his Instagram page.

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Jokowi also explained that the government continued to rehabilitate and build global mangrove centers in various provinces as one of Indonesia's commitments to tackling climate change. According to Jokowi, Indonesia has planted and rehabilitated over 140,000 hectares of mangroves during the period of 2019-2020. Approximately 600,000 ha of mangrove forest is targeted for rehabilitation by 2024.

LAILY RACHEV - BIRO PERS SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

President Joko Widodo dan First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo enjoy the view of mangrove forests at Ngurah Rai Mangrove Forest, Bali, on Friday (8/10/2021).

This is translated by VEERAMALLA ANJAIAH