Barriers

The CGB vegetation cover has reduced 68% in Riau province and 81% in Aceh province. This degraded ecosystem causing various social-, economic- and environmental threats to coastal communities. Overexploitation and unsustainable aquaculture farming and fishing practices tend to magnify the impacts of these changes of natural resources. There are plenty of examples where improper practices have made the ecological and social conditions of the ecosystem becoming worst. The challenges of coastal community in the coming decades is about how to win the battles against global climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, extreme wheater events, and biodiversity loss due to land-use change and deforestation. Most of regulatory frameworks in Indonesia are centralized and can not cover the different and complexity circumstances of each village problems. Lack of technology for mapping and monitoring of field activities that can be accessed on-line and on-time basis.

Challenges and Lessons Learned From Mangrove Restoration and Protection

1. Yagasu has successfully restored 12,300 ha from the target of 20,000 ha;

2. In addition to the project works, the local communities also restored their territory due to their initiatives;

3. We still faced the problems of mortality due to natural causes such as flood and heavy waves and human causes such as small boats crossing the planted mangrove seedlings. For those cases, the project team has replanted the dead trees;

4. We still faced the threats to the mangrove forest from illegal logging for charcoal in Aceh Timur and land conversion for oil palm in several villages.

Challenges and Lessons Learned From Scientific Research

1. There was very limited or almost no references related to mangrove carbon research on restored mangroves in different ages and sub-ecosystem. We developed a new research method that developed from various methods

2. We spent a lot of time to design the proper research protocol because there was a need to test every step of research method and research equipment

3. During the research period we face having some difficulties with consultants related to the time commitment and analytical skills

4. Yagasu team still has weakness on scientific report writing therefore the final technical and journal publications come late;

5. No specific research centre on carbon, mangrove and climate change in Indonesia, therefore the CBRU is a good model can be developed in other areas.

Challenges and Lessons Learned from Economic Resilience

1. In principle there was not much problems for communities in producing local products. However, the most difficult for them was how to reach sustainable markets because their limited access and capital to reach wider markets;

2. In term of marketing local products, the local communities still depend to the middle men (“tengkulak”), therefore they can get a lower process for their products;

3. In case of soft crab production and crab export, there was new regulation from the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fishery to ban export soft crabs and female crabs that affected many village business collapsed.

Challenges and Lessons Learned From Program Management

1. The project staff increased their skills and experiences in managing and delivering the project effectively and systematically, developing networks, understanding main issues and problem solutions, and developing new projects that inspired from this project.

2. Yagasu received supervision mission in developing the concept of Work plan and Project Monitoring Performance (PMP) that are very useful for all staff in developing way of thinking of good project implementation.

3. Through the experiences managing this project, Yagasu feels more confidence to find opportunities proposing new projects. It also made Yagasu having good reputation as one of Indonesian NGOs operating in Indonesia.