Antara News·Indonesia·Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 07:54 AM UTC

Indonesia links land conservation to aquatic ecosystem protection

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Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is safeguarding its aquatic ecosystems by protecting interconnected land environments, Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Hendropriyono said, according to a statement confirmed here Sunday.

"Our experience has taught us a crucial lesson: we cannot protect water without protecting the surrounding land, and Indonesia already has good practices in place," he said.

Speaking after closing the 11th Global Environment Facility (GEF) Biennial International Waters Conference in Bali on Thursday (October 22), Diaz emphasized that water crisis mitigation cannot be handled partially.

He also noted that an integrated approach remains essential for long-term environmental sustainability, adding that land and water must be managed together.

As concrete proof, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment has outlined a series of comprehensive practices to maintain the connectivity between land and water ecosystems, primarily through active community involvement.

Under the Peatland Care Independent Village (DMPG) and Mangrove Care Independent Village (DMPM) programs, coastal and inland communities are empowered to stand on the front lines of conservation while gaining economic value from ecosystem restoration.

Beyond preserving natural areas, the ministry is also stepping up interventions in land-based plastic waste management, targeting pollution directly at its source.

Unmanaged waste on land poses a major threat to rivers and oceans. To address this problem, the government is strengthening policy instruments, including optimizing neglected waste infrastructure.

"We are also preventing plastic from reaching our rivers, lakes, and oceans. That is why Indonesia is drafting new regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility to require manufacturers to take back their product packaging," Diaz said.

In the field of environmental diplomacy, the ministry also highlighted the critical role of karst ecosystems as massive natural reservoirs of groundwater.

Indonesia has taken a bold step by introducing a resolution on karst ecosystems at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in December 2025 and remains committed to advocating for the issue.

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