IKN to serve as M4CR pilot, rehabilitate 150 hectares of mangroves

Ibu Kota Nusantara in Penajam Paser Utara, Kalimantan Timur, will be used as a pilot site for mangrove rehabilitation under the Mangroves for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) program. IKN Authority head Basuki Hadimuljono said the IKN area is preparing a mangrove planting target of about 1,100 hectares, with about 150 hectares carried out through M4CR through 2027. The program, run by the Kementerian Kehutanan with World Bank financing, also covers Kalimantan Utara, Riau and Sumatera Utara. Basuki said mangroves can reduce erosion, lower the need for physical coastal protection and help strengthen coastal resilience. Muhammad Zainal Arifin, secretary of the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation, said IKN was chosen as an initial site so the rehabilitation model can be copied by other regions.