Indonesia Calls for United Global Action on Mangrove Restoration at MAC Ministerial Meeting
Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan has called on countries to strengthen collective action in global mangrove restoration efforts while chairing the third ministerial meeting of the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) in the United Arab Emirates.
The alliance, co-initiated by the governments of Indonesia and the UAE, currently comprises 47 member countries committed to mitigating climate change impacts through coordinated mangrove restoration and conservation initiatives.
Speaking at the meeting held in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday (Jan. 14), Hasan emphasized that shared commitments among member states must be translated into tangible outcomes. “The collective commitment of MAC members must be transformed into concrete and measurable actions that deliver real benefits to communities,” he said, according to a statement released in Jakarta on Friday.
The meeting was attended by ministerial representatives from Australia, Colombia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Germany, Kuwait, Russia and Cuba. During the session, Hasan also conveyed Indonesia’s readiness to host the fourth MAC ministerial meeting.
Together with UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Amna Al Dahak, Hasan signed the MAC Charter, reaffirming their joint commitment to lead the alliance in a transparent and effective manner while strengthening cooperation with partners to advance its vision and mission.
Al Dahak said the MAC will formulate guidelines for science-based mangrove restoration and conservation programmes aimed at improving the success rate and sustainability of mangrove planting efforts across member states.
Indonesia and the UAE also received recognition and support from representatives of the Mangrove Breakthrough global initiative for their leadership role in establishing and advancing the international alliance.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Hasan held a bilateral discussion with UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and Special Envoy for Energy, Climate and Investment to Indonesia Suhail Al Mazroui. The talks focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the energy sector and exploring investment opportunities in agriculture and fisheries.
