The Green Coast project is restoring and managing coastal ecosystems to increase livelihood security for people in tsunami hit regions

Green Coast in Indonesia

Green Coast Project in Indonesia The epicenter of the earthquake that caused the tsunami in December 2004 was close to the Indonesian province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Nias Island. Almost 130.000 people and 37.000 remain missing. The survivors lost almost everything: family, houses and livelihoods. Approximately 4,717 coastal fi shing boats lost, 20.000 ha fi sh ponds were destroyed or out of action, 60,000 farmers were displaced, over 60,000 ha agricultural land damaged and 100,000 small business persons have lost their livelihoods. Furthermore, the environment is profoundly altered. (A joint report of the BRR and International Partners, December 2005: ACEH AND NIAS ONE YEAR AFTER THE TSUNAMI; The Recovery Effort and Way

Forward)

The Green Coast project in Indonesia is implemented by Wetlands International Indonesia Programme (WIIP), WWF-Indonesia and Both ENDS partner GEF-Small Grants Program.

Map of distribution of Small Grants in the Aceh District

Coastal stretchesGreen Coast identifi ed priority coastal stretches in Indonesia: Simeulue, Nagan Raya and Aceh Barat, Aceh Besar and Banda Aceh, Pidie, Aceh Utara and Lhokseumawe and the Island of Nias.

Assessing the damageWIIP, together with local NGOs and the Syahkuala University conducted many assessments in Aceh and Nias Island, on wetlands ecology, vegetation, soil and agriculture, fi sheries, biodiversity and social economic development. Based on these assessments at least 31 specifi c areas were identifi ed that need priority in rehabilitation. WIIP developed an Interactive Multimedia Database, containing environmental and socio-economic information data of the six stretches as mentioned above Detailed assessment report of these strecthes is now available in both hard and soft copies in WI-IPoffice.

The Green Coast differenceAlong the Aceh east coast we fi nd a good example of Green Coast assessments leading to policy recommendations and community-based rehabilitation projects.

The assessment team found that there used to be very thick mangrove forests, but these were converted into fi shponds long before this area hit by the tsunami. Many ponds and some villages were destroyed by the tsunami. Some ponds are now being restored, but for most of them this will be too expensive due to heavy degradation.

The Green Coast partners recommend rapid adoption of a greenbelt policy, restoring the coast into mangrove forest again. Otherwise lots of ponds and villages will disappear. And reconstruction of the existing ponds must be modifi ed by planting mangrove in the middle and on the dikes of the ponds (silvo-fi shery) as well as behind the coast line.

The Green Coast community-based rehabilitation projects in the East Coast coastal stretch (which covers districts of Pidie, Bireun, Aceh Utara, and Lhokseumawe) focus on mangrove rehabilitation and coastal aquaculture in an environmentally friendly way, like silvo-fi shery.

Financed by:

More information on Green Coast in Indonesia? Please contact the project coordinator: Nyoman N. Suryadiputra (nyoman@wetlands.or.id )

www.wetlands.org/greencoast/EN

Infl uencing policy Green Coast partners established good working relations with the provincial government, the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) and the Panglima Laot, the traditional local leaders of fi shing communities. WWF-Indonesia developed Green Reconstruction Policy Guidelines for Aceh and Green Coast teams visited coastal communities, asking for policy inputs to get the voice of communities heard.

Around 43 regulations and related policies in Coastal Resources Management (CRM) for Aceh, including the Traditional Sea Customary Law (Hukom Adat Laot) are reviewed and analysed for its post-tsunami relevance. Green Coast in Aceh established a forum that regularly meets to discuss CRM-related issues, involving NGOs, women groups, local government, BRR, scientists and Panglima Laot. In Nias Island, the CRM concept had been introduced as up to now there is no spesifi c regulation in managing their coastal resources.

The Green Coast differenceAt the request of fi sh farmers in Lham Dingin the government built a 16.2 km long seawall to protect the ponds from high tides, unfortunately without prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As a result seawater is retained behind the wall and the area becomes severely fl ooded during rainy season and high tides. Green Coast partners already pointed at these risks during the planning of this construction.

Community-based rehabilitation projectsGreen Coast teams traveled to priority coastal stretches, where WIIP provided technical training to communities and CBOs, and WWF discussed issues like gender and required policy inputs. The technical training ranges from mangrove planting techniques to food processing technologies. Women traditionally play an important role in e.g. rice farming or collecting shell fi sh in mangroves. Green Coast rehabilitation projects focus specifi cally on regaining an income for these women.

By May 2006, 44 rehabilitation projects have started operations, for a total sum of 570.000 euro, from which approximately 10,635 people will benefi t directly. Livelihoods are recovered by e.g. the provision of fi shing gear, fi sh processing, sewing machines or goat farming. In planting coastal vegetations (including fruit trees) 577 hectares will be rehabilitated. All projects are advised upon by a Provincial Reference Group, consisting of a gender expert and representatives of the BRR, NGO-network WALHI and the Panglima Laot.

The Green Coast differenceMangrove restoration is notoriously diffi cult: the wrong species have been planted in the wrong places or did not involve the people living close to the mangroves. As a result many seedlings died. Green Coast in Indonesia uses the following approach: local communities are offered technical and fi nancial support/micro-credit to restore their livelihoods. In return the communities provide environmental services like replanting and maintaining coastal forest and fruit trees or establishing nurseries. If more than 75 percent of the planted seedlings are still alive after a set period (6-10 months) the credit becomes a grant.

An example: in Alus-alus village, Simeulue, 8 ha was planted with seedlings of the beach tree specie Rhizophora, combined with the procurement of boat engines to assist the fi sher folk to catch fi sh in the sea. The 5,000 seedlings were successfully prepared by the local community with technical support from a WI-IP expert on silviculture: less than 50 seedlings were reported dead and the ones that have been planted in the Alus-alus beach area were almost 1 meter tall in March 2006.

Financed by:

The Green Coast project is restoring and managing coastal ecosystems to increase livelihood security for people in tsunami hit regions

Green Coast Project in Indonesia: POLICY

Ensuring Sustainable Coastal Resource Management through Policy WorkPost-tsunami reconstruction efforts face the challenge of meeting immediate humanitarian needs whilst balancing longer-term development and natural disaster mitigation. A well-planned coastal development is needed for securing a better future.

The tsunami aftermath in Indonesia has brought environmental concerns which need to be addressed not merely at the community level, but also at the decision making level. It is crucial to infl uence and engage the decision makers and community in planning, implementing as well as supervising the reconstruction and rehabilitation process as the policy developed will contribute to the future. At the same time, policy work is also aiming at providing guidance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation process towards sustainable livelihoods and environment.

Two levels ApproachIn creating a good understanding of environment issues at all level, it is important to approach the decision makers and coastal communities it-self. At the decision makers level, the approach applied is by providing inputs for policy making, through policy analysis document. As for the community, the approach used is by collecting on ground inputs and at the same time giving a substantial policy support at some level.

Policy Analysis: This approach is aiming at reviewing the existing regulations pre and after tsunami in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province, including the customary law which is the Traditional Sea Customary Law or known as Hukom Adat Laot. It is viewed important to take up this regulation as it is a part of the local wisdom

which has been passed on over centuries and still implemented amongst the coastal community, especially fi shers. The Hukum Adat Laot regulates the fi shing activities of "Panglima Laot" (local commanders of the sea).

Approximately 43 regulations in Coastal Resources Management have been reviewed and defi ned three strategic issues:

Rehabilitation and conservation of marine and fi sheries resources Community participation in management of marine and fi sheries resources Community empowerment in terms of economic livelihood

WIIP / Muhammad ILMAN

WIIP / Muhammad ILMAN

One of the recommendations of the Policy Analysis document for NAD and Nias Island is to produce provincial law on coastal and marine resources management including spatial planning issue. In supporting its technical implementation on ground, governors decree for NAD and head of districts decrees for Nias Island is necessary to be developed. This policy analysis process also covers public consultation activity in order to examine the document as well as ga