Indonesia and Japan Promote Sustainable Mangrove Management

RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo - The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, held a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan, Suzuki Norikazu. This meeting was part of a series of state visits by the President aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Indonesia and Japan.

During the meeting, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) emphasized that Indonesia is a strategic partner for the Japanese Government, particularly in the forestry sector. In a statement received by RRI VOI from the Ministry of Forestry on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, MAFF expressed its commitment to continuously supporting various Indonesian tropical forest management initiatives, particularly through projects coordinated by JICA.

As a concrete manifestation of this support, in April 2026, MAFF will assign two experts to support the implementation of a JICA project related to sustainable mangrove management in Indonesia.

Furthermore, MAFF also seeks the Ministry of Forestry's support in implementing the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) scheme in the forestry sector as part of its joint efforts to mitigate climate change.

On this occasion, Minister Raja Juli Antoni, expressed his appreciation for the long-standing and productive partnership between Indonesia and Japan, particularly through various JICA projects in the forestry sector. The Minister of Forestry views this collaboration as a crucial foundation for strengthening sustainable forest management and addressing the challenges of global climate change.

Furthermore, the Minister of Forestry invited MAFF to collaborate on improving the quality of the JICA project, as part of strengthening the World Mangrove Center initiative. This initiative is expected to serve as a global bridge for rehabilitation, research, education, and innovation in mangrove ecosystem management, as well as serve as an international reference for nature-based climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Furthermore, he also encouraged the involvement of the Japanese private sector in investing in the carbon economy in Indonesia, particularly through afforestation and reforestation activities, including in national park areas. This aligns with the opportunity to implement a Voluntary Carbon Market following the issuance of the Presidential Regulation concerning the Implementation of Carbon Economic Values (NEK) and National Greenhouse Gas Emission Control.

This bilateral meeting demonstrates the strong commitment of both countries to continue strengthening strategic cooperation in the forestry sector, while also making a real contribution to global efforts to address climate change through nature-based solutions.