Reacting to climate change: From Indonesia

Global climate change has increased the sea level at north Jakarta 0.57 centimetres per year, but the capital city of Indonesia doesn’t have enough green belt of mangrove to protect itself from tidal waves from the Java Sea.

Mangrove is a plant that long has been believed to be the strongest natural belt that can protect a city like Jakarta from the threat of tidal waves. Without enough mangrove belt 40 percent of Jakarta soil has been predicted to be under water by 2080.

Not so many people care about the issue. But out of Jakarta’s six million inhabitants, there is one person who cares about the threat of tidal waves to this city. His name is Suheri but his friends just call him Erik.

Erik is a volunteer at the mangrove conservation park in Muara Angke area in north Jakarta. The park is owned by the institute of natural conservation, under the ministry of forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.

Erik was born in Jakarta in 1982. He grew up amongst the mangrove trees as his father was also a volunteer at the same institute. Since he was seven years old he has been planting and protecting mangrove trees both at the park and along the sea front of north Jakarta.

After formally joining the volunteer team of the institute in 2007 most of his time has been spent at the park. Everyday he patrols the park, the river, and the mangrove trees that have been planted at the beach.

“I have to patrol the area everyday to protect this area from thieves,” he says, “those who like to kill the birds or steal wood from the park.”

and three times every month, he and his friends plant mangrove trees all around north Jakarta, but mostly in Pantai Indah Kapuk area and Kamal Muara area. Once a week he also teaches elementary school students about why it is important to plant mangrove trees and to make them grow.

For Erik he says he will never quit planting mangrove and he loves the trees dearly. He knows well that mangroves have the ability to protect human civilization from the threat of tidal waves as well as the ability to absorb the pollution brought by the rivers to the sea.

What he wants right now is simple: more people to come and help him plant mangroves.

Text and Voiceover by Zaki Yamani

Video by D J Clark