Natural climate solutions in Indonesia: wetlands are the key to achieve Indonesia’s national climate commitment

Indonesia offers a dramatic opportunity to contribute to tackling climate change by deploying natural climate solutions (NCS), increasing carbon sequestration and storage through the protection, improved management, and restoration of drylands, peatlands, and mangrove ecosystems. Here, we estimate Indonesia’s NCS mitigation opportunity for the first time using national datasets. We calculated the maximum NCS mitigation potential extent using datasets of annual national land cover, peat soil, and critical lands. We collated a national emissions factor database for each pathway, calculated from a meta-analysis, recent publications from our team, and available literature. The maximum NCS mitigation potential in 2030 is 1.3 ± 0.04 GtCO2e yr−1, based on the historical baseline period from 2009–2019. This maximum NCS potential is double Indonesia’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) target from the forestry and other land use sector. Of this potential opportunity, 77% comes from wetland ecosystems. Peatlands have the largest NCS mitigation potential (960 ± 15.4 MtCO2e yr−1 or 71.5 MgCO2e ha−1 yr−1) among all other ecosystems. Mangroves provide a smaller total potential (41.1 ± 1.4 MtCO2e yr−1) but have a much higher mitigation density (12.2 MgCO2e ha−1 yr−1) compared to dryland ecosystems (2.9 MgCO2e ha−1 yr−1). Therefore, protecting, managing, and restoring Indonesia’s wetlands is key to achieving the country’s emissions reduction target by 2030. The results of this study can be used to inform conservation programs and national climate policy to prioritize wetlands and other land sector initiatives to fulfill Indonesia’s NDC by 2030, while simultaneously providing additional co-benefits and contributing to COVID-19 recovery and economic sustainability.

Can mangrove intensive policies in Indonesia benefit more coastal communities? environmental policy analysis

All This article discusses the government’s efforts to restore the environment in coastal areas from the threat of abrasion. The deliberative policy analysis approach was used to analyze the implementation of the Indonesian government’s national mangrove labor intensive program policy on Bengkalis Island, Riau Province. The article writing uses a qualitative approach by utilizing descriptive analysis methods. The data collection techniques are interviews, observations, journal articles, online news, official documents, and websites of authoritative institutions. The results of the study show that the implementation of the mangrove labor-intensive national program involves community groups at the site level, this program provides economic, social benefits, and regenerates a culture of mutual cooperation during the Covid-19 pandemic, increases awareness of climate change, and finds several obstacles that need to be addressed. evaluated so that the implementation of this mangrove rehabilitation can run even better.

Typology of Smallholder and Commercial Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) Farms, including Threats and Challenges in Davao Region, Philippines

The shrimp industry in the Philippines plays a vital role in the local and national economy through exports to markets abroad such as South Korea, Japan, the USA, and others. In this study, we aimed to describe the various cultural and operational characteristics of smallholder and commercial shrimp (P. vannamei) farms in the Davao region. We also evaluated the current risks and challenges faced by the shrimp farmers. A semi-structured questionnaire that focused on shrimp farmers and operators in the region was used to collect data from N = 41 farmers and operators. The results showed that respondents who were engaged in smallholder farming activities had an average yield of 10 tons/ha. The commercial farms that operate intensively had an average yield of 24 tons/ha. Most smallholder operators used electric generator machines to conduct aeration in their farms using paddlewheels and blowers. More paddlewheels and blowers were employed per pond in the commercial farms compared to smallholder farms. Generally, the income of a farm was related to their yield or the number of fries rather than social factors or their size. In terms of input costs, feeds were found to have the highest cost, followed by the fry, fuel, labor, and others (fertilizers and water treatment chemicals). Most of the farmers mentioned that their shrimp are affected by diseases such as white spot syndrome (60%), black gills (35%), and red tail (5%). They perceived that the main contamination comes from the water source (31%). The main threats mentioned were declining shrimp prices in the market, source of fry, water disposal, overstocking, and water quality. This study shows that small-holding fish farmers should be supported by the government so that they can make use of the more advanced technology employed by commercial shrimp farmers in order to increase their economic productivity and lower their environmental footprint.

Medium and large-sized mammals from Isla Santay National of Recreation Area in western Ecuador

Future research should prioritize both the preservation of ecological processes and the understanding of the negative effects of human impacts on local biodiversity. Unfortunately, Western Ecuador has suffered several environmental problems over a prolonged period, such as deforestation, illegal hunting, and rapid change in land use (Dodson & Gentry 1991, Parker & Carr 1992), causing declines in mammalian species. [...]the loss of large herbivores affects seed dispersal and recruitment, the loss of carnivores decreases predatory activity and nutrient recycling, and the decline of other mammalian species impacts pollination (Rumiz 2010). [...]to aid in mammal management and conservation, it is important to document current species richness and evaluate potential threats (Cervera et al. 2016, Lizcano et al. 2016). [...]there are 21 protected areas that include coastal-marine landscapes, mangroves, the humid forest of Chocó, and Tumbesian dry forests (MAE 2015).

Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Detecting Environmental DNA Derived from Marine Macrophytes and Its Application to a Field Survey in Hiroshima Bay, Japan

The sequestration and storage of carbon dioxide by marine macrophytes is called blue carbon;this ecosystem function of coastal marine ecosystems constitutes an important countermeasure to global climate change. The contribution of marine macrophytes to blue carbon requires a detailed examination of the organic carbon stock released by these macrophytes. Here, we introduce a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based environmental DNA (eDNA) system for the species-specific detection of marine macrophytes. and report its application in a field survey in Hiroshima Bay, Japan. A method of qPCR-based quantification was developed for mangrove, seagrass, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta species, or species-complex, collected from the Japanese coast to investigate their dynamics after they wither and die in the marine environment. A trial of the designed qPCR system was conducted using sediment samples from Hiroshima Bay. Ulva spp. were abundant in coastal areas of the bay, yet their eDNA in the sediments was scarce. In contrast, Zostera marina and the Sargassum subgenus Bactrophycus spp. were found at various sites in the bay, and high amounts of their eDNA were detected in the sediments. These results suggest that the fate of macrophyte-derived organic carbon after death varies among species.

Fisherman Community Development Model with Disaster Mitigation Perspective in Meranti Islands Regency

Meranti Islands Regency has coastal natural resources. On the other hand, this area also has the potential for natural disasters (coastal) and non-natural disasters that threaten the sustainability of resources and community welfare, so disaster mitigation efforts are needed. This study aims to formulate a model for developing Fisherman communities with a disaster mitigation perspective. This study uses MPE analysis and prospective analysis. The strategic basis for developing fisherman communities is increasing food security through the developing coastal based green industries, capacity building for local competitiveness and conservation of endemic species, and allocating budget proportionally to create local-based economic infrastructure and facilities development. The potential natural disasters that are more dominant in Meranti Islands Regency are abrasion, landslides, high waves and tidal flooding. A non-natural disaster is Covid-19 pandemic. Mitigation must be done is planting mangroves, building sheet piles, social engineering policies must be done by planting mangroves, building sheet piles, social engineering policies, and planting mangroves, building sheet piles, social engineering policies, and alternative livelihoods. The model for developing Fisherman communities with a disaster mitigation perspective in Meranti Islands Regency is optimizing coastal areas’ productivity and livelihood support systems.

Potential compounds from several Indonesian plants to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection: A mini-review of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic targets.

The outbreak of coronaviruses (CoVs) presents an enormous threat to humans. To date, no new therapeutic drugs or vaccines licensed to treat human coronaviruses remain undiscovered. This mini-review briefly reports the number of potential plants widely distributed in Indonesia for further research and development as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents and the critical targets for SARS-CoV-2 therapy, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor, spike protein, 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), papain-like protease (PLpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), helicase, and serine protease. Indonesia is rich in medicinal plants (herbal); it also has a long history of using plants to treat various hereditary diseases. However, since SARS-CoV-2 is a new disease, it has no history of plant-based treatment anywhere in the world. This mini-review describes natural products from several Indonesian plants that contain compounds that could potentially prevent or reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection, act as potential targeted therapy, and provide new therapeutic strategies to develop SARS-CoV-2 countermeasures.