Sumatran Farmer Fights Coastal Erosion with Mangrove Planting
In a coastal village on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a farmer named Harisyah has taken significant steps to combat the rapid coastal erosion threatening his community. The region's northern coastline, characterized by carbon-rich tropical peat soils, is losing ground to the sea at a rate of more than 6 meters annually, according to researchers.
Harisyah began his mangrove restoration efforts in 2011 following aquaculture training in the nearby Meranti Islands. His initiative gained momentum in 2018 when he became the village head and used local funds to plant mangroves. After stepping down in 2024, Harisyah partnered with local and international nonprofits to expand these efforts, aiming to restore 25 hectares of degraded mangrove forest.
The initiative involves local youth and schoolchildren in planting activities, fostering a sense of long-term stewardship. This grassroots effort is a response to dramatic land loss attributed to subsidence of drained peat and extensive mangrove clearance for charcoal, aquaculture, and oil palm cultivation.
On a broader scale, Indonesia had pledged in 2020 to rehabilitate 600,000 hectares of mangroves by 2024, a goal that remains unmet according to the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency.