Ecobiz.asia – Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) is working with Fairatmos to assess the potential of a blue carbon pilot project in Central Java, as part of efforts to scale up mangrove restoration into investable carbon initiatives.
Amehr Hakim, Director of Marine Spatial Planning Development at MMAF, said the project is currently in the eligibility assessment stage, focusing on estimating carbon potential and determining project feasibility.
“We are cooperating with Fairatmos to calculate the potential of blue carbon projects in Central Java, particularly along the northern coast,” Amehr said during the Atmos Talk webinar hosted by Fairatmos on Thursday (March 26, 2026).
The proposed pilot will cover clusters across 16 municipalities, with plans to plant up to 60 million mangrove trees and involve around 6,000 coastal community members.
Preliminary assessments suggest the project could generate up to 17.4 million carbon credits, with an estimated annual yield of around 138,000 verified carbon units.
Amehr added that the Central Java site is also being proposed for official designation as a blue carbon ecosystem area, which would provide legal certainty and support project implementation.
The initiative forms part of Indonesia’s broader strategy to develop blue carbon projects under a structured marine spatial planning framework. MMAF is currently revising its blue carbon roadmap to align with the latest regulation on carbon pricing.
Marine spatial planning plays a central role in this approach, particularly in ensuring spatial clarity, zoning allocation, and tenure security for blue carbon projects.
“We are not only focusing on conservation, but also on building sustainable and economically viable coastal development,” Amehr said.
Indonesia has identified 18 indicative locations for blue carbon reserves under national and provincial spatial plans, opening opportunities for collaboration with government agencies and private sector players.
The country is estimated to have around 1.3 million hectares of blue carbon potential, including mangrove and seagrass ecosystems. However, tenure issues and overlapping land status remain key challenges, particularly for mangrove areas located outside designated forest zones.
To address these challenges, MMAF is strengthening regulatory frameworks, including spatial planning guidelines and marine utilization permits, to ensure legal certainty and compliance for carbon projects.
Amehr emphasized that effective zoning and safeguards will be critical to ensure environmental protection, community participation, and fair benefit sharing from carbon financing.
The webinar featured speakers Amehr Hakim from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Fajar Nuradi from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, and Edwin Hartanto, Head of Carbon Trading Development at the Indonesia Stock Exchange.
Panelists included Rich Gilmore, CEO of Carbon Growth Partners; Grace Yanti P., Vice Director of YAGASU; Aruna Pradipta, Chief Commercial and Operating Officer of Fairatmos; and was moderated by Natalia Rialucky, CEO of Fairatmos. ***
