BENGKALIS, Siberriau – The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) Indonesia Chapter, together with the Teluk Pambang Village LPHD (Lembaga Pengelolaan Hutan Hutan Desa/Rehabilitation Institution), held a discussion on "Mangrove Protection and Rehabilitation Learning Exchange in Support of Indonesia's Country Proposition" from February 3-5, 2026, in Bengkalis, and conducted a field trip to Teluk Pambang Village.

According to GMA, Bengkalis Island is a strategic location for discussions on mangrove protection and rehabilitation at the international level.

Bengkalis Island has been quite active in various mangrove conservation efforts over the past decade. One example is Teluk Pambang Village, which has successfully reduced the rate of mangrove degradation by 96%, from 27 hectares per year (2016-2021) to just 1 hectare per year (2022-2024). This success is due in large part to the role of the district and village governments, as well as the village mangrove groups, who are committed to mangrove rehabilitation and protection.

The discussion in this activity covered various strategic policies related to protection and rehabilitation, which included regulations, funding, benefits, and the sustainable economic impact of the project on the community.

Country Proposition Objectives
Indonesia is one of the priority countries in the global "Mangrove Breakthrough" initiative, initiated by the Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) in collaboration with UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, as well as governments, the private sector, and donors. This initiative has a broad goal: to conserve 15 million hectares of mangrove forests worldwide, through protection, rehabilitation, and reducing the rate of mangrove degradation.

The GMA initiative in Indonesia involves several conservation organizations, namely Wetlands International Indonesia, the Nusantara Nature Conservation Foundation, Konservasi Indonesia, and the WWF Indonesia Foundation.

In 2025, the collaboration, known as the GMA Indonesia Chapter, produced the Country Proposition Indonesia, a concept that includes information on landscape partnerships, funding mechanisms, policy dialogue, capacity building, and the implementation of mangrove protection and management in Indonesia.

Indonesia aims to demonstrate that mangrove protection is not only for the environment, but also a strategic climate investment that strengthens coastal socio-economic resilience.

This learning exchange is expected to serve as a platform for exchanging knowledge on nature-based restoration and climate change mitigation actions.

Furthermore, this activity also involved international GMA participants from four countries: the United States, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and Spain.

The workshop was opened by the Head of the Bengkalis Island Forest Management Unit (UPT KPH), Muhammad Padli, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the Berlian Hotel Restaurant in Bengkalis.
On that occasion, Padli emphasized the importance of the mangrove forest as a buffer against abrasion on Bengkalis Island.
He stated that well-maintained mangrove ecosystems can generate additional economic value for coastal communities.

"We at the UPT KPH Bengkalis Pulau certainly welcome this activity on Bengkalis Island. We hope that this 'Learning Exchange on Mangrove Protection and Rehabilitation in Support of Indonesia's Country Proposition' can inspire the enthusiasm and enthusiasm of mangrove restoration practitioners on Bengkalis Island," he said.

Furthermore, Padli hopes that each mangrove activity will involve students from the coastal areas of Bengkalis Island.

"We need to promote this mangrove activity more widely, by involving our future generations who will be the next generation in the conservation, protection, and rehabilitation of mangroves on Bengkalis Island," he said.

Meanwhile, Irzal Fakhrozi, a representative from the Riau Province Environment and Forestry Agency, also welcomed the workshop.
"We hope that through this event, we can share stories, information, experiences, and knowledge about mangrove protection and rehabilitation. Thus, the knowledge shared today will add to our references that can be applied in our respective regions, especially in coastal areas in Riau Province," he said.

Apri Susanto Astra, Chairman of the Wetland Foundation (YLB), stated that one of the reasons the discussion was held in Bengkalis was because Bengkalis Island offers a complete package for mangrove conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation activities.

Apri stated that this activity aims to share lessons learned, experiences, and perspectives regarding mangrove protection and rehabilitation from various organizations and NGOs, both nationally and internationally.

"After this sharing session, we hope to receive input or provide new perspectives for other organizations so they can achieve their mangrove restoration goals in a more effective and targeted manner," he said.

Furthermore, YKAN's Partnership Coordinator, Fadil Nandila, stated that this activity is expected to generate a new concept or breakthrough for mangrove protection and rehabilitation activities.

"Hopefully, from this meeting, we will find a new concept that we can apply in several areas. Today, we are learning together to achieve our common goal of successfully implementing this mangrove restoration activity sustainably," said Fadil.

After the discussion, the GMA group immediately proceeded to the field visit to the mangrove tourism area of ??the Paghet Seghagah Conservation Group in Kelapapati Village.

Upon arrival, the group was greeted by the Head of the Paghet Seghagah Conservation Group, Rio Pernandes, and the Head of the Bahtera Melayu NGO, Defitri Akbar.

Rio took the opportunity to welcome the group from the Global Mangrove Alliance Indonesia Chapter.

Rio then briefly explained the history of the formation of the Paghet Seghagah Conservation Group and its current operations.

He then invited the group to explore the existing mangrove conservation area and to visit the Paghet Seghagah fishing spot.

For additional information, the field visit workshop lasted four days, from February 2 to 5, 2026.
Also in attendance were the Head of Bantan District, Rafli Kurniawan; the Head of the Bengkalis PSDKP Region II, Eldy Saputra; the Head of the Bengkalis Communication and Information Technology Office, represented by the Head of the SDKI Division, Pra Rezeki Indra Muda; the Acting Village Head of Teluk Pambang, Sariyono; and the Head of the Teluk Pambang LPHD, Indra.

Also in attendance from GMA were Elena Katherine Roddom, Dominic Charles Jhon Wodehouse, Irene Kingma, and James Benjamin Christ.

Meanwhile, representatives from the GMA Indonesia Chapter included YLBA (Aji Nuralam Dwisutono and Muhammad Romadhon), YKAN (Aji Wahyu Anggoro, Taufik Hidayat, Syidik ??Fahmi, and Syifa Ardhita Mahardhika), Konservasi Indonesia (Arsen Makoni), and the WWF Indonesia Foundation (Aditya Benyamin, Sugiyanta), as well as representatives from the Mulyadi Gambut Foundation.

Furthermore, the Chairpersons and Members of the Village Community Empowerment Agency (LPHD) of Teluk Pambang, Kembung Luar, and Kembung Baru, as well as other invited guests. #DISKOMINFOTIK.

Source
https://diskominfotik.bengkaliskab.go.id/web/detailberita/21078/bengkalis-jadi-lokasi-pembelajaran-konservasi-mangrove-internasional