Mangrovate

Mangrove restoration in Indonesia

Rolled today,
Rooted to stay,
Growing all the way.

Mangrovate connects communities, researchers, practitioners, institutions, and private-sector partners to support restoration that is locally rooted, measurable, and built to last.

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Why Mangrovate

Indonesia's mangroves protect far more than the shoreline.

Indonesia is home to around one-fifth of the world's mangrove cover, with about 3.44 million hectares of mangroves. This gives Indonesia a major responsibility to protect its coastal green belts, as well as an opportunity to become a leading country in mangrove restoration.

However, Indonesia's mangroves are under serious pressure. Around 10–33% of mangrove areas have been degraded due to aquaculture, coastal infrastructure, agriculture, urban development, reclamation, pollution, and illegal logging. In Java, the damage is even greater, with around 70% of native mangrove forests lost over the last three decades. As mangroves disappear, coastal areas become more exposed to erosion, tidal flooding, storm waves, and land loss.

This is not only about losing trees. Mangrove loss also affects coastal communities and local economies. Around 60% of Indonesia's population lives in coastal areas, where many communities depend on coastal ecosystems for livelihoods, protection, food security, and tourism. Around 55% of Indonesia's total fish-catch biomass depends on mangrove-habitat species, valued at about US$825 million per year, while mangrove tourism is valued at almost US$30 million per year. Research also finds that every 1% reduction in regional mangrove area can reduce annual fishery household income by 5.3–9.8%.

The risks will become even greater in the future. With sea-level rise, land subsidence, coastal development, and more extreme weather, degraded mangroves will no longer be able to protect coastal communities as they should. This can lead to more flood-prone areas, stronger erosion, damaged infrastructure, declining fish stocks, lost tourism potential, and reduced carbon storage.

Mangrovate exists to foster mangrove restoration in Indonesia that is more scalable, reliable, measurable, and locally rooted. We connect communities, researchers, restoration practitioners, private-sector partners, and institutions to restore mangroves in ways that fit local ecosystems—not planting for the sake of planting, but restoring mangroves so they can protect coastlines, support resilient ecosystems, and sustain coastal communities in the long run.

Rolled today.
Rooted to stay.
Growing all the way.

Vision and mission

A thriving future rooted in healthy mangroves.

Our vision

Thriving mangrove ecosystems that sustain resilient coastal life and future opportunities.

Our mission

  1. Restore mangrove ecosystems through science-based, site-specific, and ecologically appropriate approaches.
  2. Strengthen long-term coastal resilience by working with communities as restoration partners and stewards.
  3. Advance knowledge, innovation, and collaboration to support healthy ecosystems, sustainable livelihoods, and integrated coastal protection.

Core pillars

Restoration beyond planting.

Mangrove Connect

Bringing together communities, researchers, NGOs, public institutions, funders, and private-sector partners to enable collaborative and long-term mangrove restoration.

Community-Based Ecological Restoration

Working with local communities to understand site conditions and select the most appropriate restoration approach, from supporting natural regeneration and improving hydrology to using seedballs or planting where ecologically suitable.

Living Innovation Lab

Testing and improving practical restoration solutions, including mangrove seedballs, through field trials, ecological monitoring, and continuous learning.

Mangrove Learning Hub

Building practical knowledge through community training, student field learning, knowledge exchange, and long-term ecological monitoring.

Our values

The principles that guide how we restore.

Ecological Integrity

We prioritise site suitability, natural processes, biodiversity, and long-term ecosystem health over planting targets alone.

Community Stewardship

We engage local communities as long-term partners and stewards in restoration, from planning and implementation to monitoring and management.

Learning and Adaptation

We test, monitor, learn, and continuously improve our approaches based on ecological evidence, field experience, and local knowledge.

Collaboration and Inclusion

We bring together communities, researchers, institutions, funders, and private-sector partners while creating meaningful opportunities for women and young people.

Our approach

Restoration beyond planting.

Mangrovate combines technology, local stewardship, and long-term ecological care so restoration can survive beyond the first planting event.

Science-backed restoration

We combine nutrient-enriched seedballs, site-specific ecological knowledge, and precision aerial deployment to support restoration in difficult coastal areas.

  • Precision drone deployment
  • Nutrient-enriched seedballs
  • Site-suitable restoration methods

Community-led stewardship

Restoration continues after planting through local monitoring, maintenance, and livelihood pathways that keep communities involved over time.

  • Community monitoring
  • Local stewardship
  • Mangrove-based livelihoods

Restoration that lasts

Healthy mangroves are built over years. We support restoration through assessment, monitoring, and adaptive management for resilient coastlines.

  • Site-specific planning
  • Long-term monitoring
  • Adaptive management

Our process

A restoration journey designed for lasting impact.

Many restoration projects face the challenge of maintaining ecological and community outcomes long after planting. Mangrovate is one approach designed to connect science, communities, and long-term stewardship into a continuous process.

  1. Funding

    Partners commit resources with long-term outcomes in mind.

  2. Site assessment

    Ecological and social conditions shape the restoration strategy.

  3. Restoration method

    Suitable methods improve access, efficiency, and ecological fit.

  4. Stewardship

    Communities participate in implementation, care, and local ownership.

  5. Monitoring

    Restoration is observed and evaluated so methods can improve over time.

  6. Livelihood pathways

    Mangrove-based livelihoods create incentives to protect restored ecosystems.

  7. Ecosystem recovery

    Healthy mangroves support resilient coastlines and communities.

Technology spotlight

Research-backed technology, deployed for restoration at scale.

Mangrovate works with Universitas Gadjah Mada researchers to apply nutrient-rich mangrove seedballs through drone-assisted deployment. The technology was developed and patented by a UGM research team; Mangrovate helps connect it with practical, community-based restoration projects.

In collaboration with Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Nutrient-rich seedballs

A protective growing medium is designed to support early establishment in suitable coastal conditions.

Placeholder: XX% higher survival rate

Drone-assisted deployment

Aerial distribution can improve reach and implementation speed in difficult-to-access sites.

Placeholder: X hectares covered per day Placeholder: X times faster than manual planting

Lower planting burden

The system is designed to reduce manual planting requirements and support scalable restoration planning.

Placeholder: EUR X per seedball Placeholder: XX% lower cost per established tree

Connect with us

Interested in working together?

We welcome conversations with communities, researchers, NGOs, companies, government institutions, donors, volunteers, and any potential partners who are interested in advancing mangrove restoration.

hello@mangrovate.org