Jakarta. Mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia and the government have partnered to plant 1.5 million mangrove seedlings in West Nusa Tenggara.

The planting program spans across 484 hectares. Environment Minister Moh Jumhur Hidayat, President Director of PTFI Tony Wenas, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, and community members planted mangroves in Labuan Alas Village, Sumbawa Regency.

This planting aligns with the ministry’s program to encourage the planting of 2 billion trees in response to the global environmental crisis.

"PTFI has rehabilitated nearly 500 hectares of mangroves in West Nusa Tenggara and is targeting the rehabilitation of 12,000 hectares across Indonesia, particularly in Papua. Mangroves play a vital role in protecting coastal ecosystems, absorbing carbon, and supporting community livelihoods. Therefore, collaboration between the government, the business sector, and the community needs to be continuously strengthened to accelerate environmental recovery," said Jumhur.

PTFI President Director Tony Wenas explained that the total mangrove planting area in NTB is 484 hectares (73% of PTFI's total outside its Papua operations). Of these, 445 hectares are in Sumbawa Regency and 39 hectares in East Lombok Regency. Planting will take place in 2025 and 2026, with a total of 1.5 million mangrove seedlings.

The mangrove planting program is a follow-up to the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) signed in 2023 between the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), and PTFI. This program is PTFI's effort to support national mangrove restoration outside the company's operational area (Papua), with a target of 2,000 hectares. PTFI also picked where they planted the mangroves based on proposals from the Environment Ministry, which is then verified by Gadjah Mada University (UGM).

Currently, 834 hectares of verified locations for PTFI's mangrove rehabilitation program have been reached. Outside Papua, 666 hectares have been planted, with a total of two million mangrove seedlings planted. The locations are spread across eight provinces: NTB, Bali, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Bangka-Belitung, Riau, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra. Thousands of community members are actively involved in this mangrove planting program.

"In Papua, specifically in Mimika Regency, PTFI has planted around 5.5 million mangrove seedlings across an area of ​​over 2,184 hectares in Papua," Tony said.

The planting campaign also involved 1,500 local community members across various stages of the activity, from nursery planting to maintenance. In addition to supporting the successful rehabilitation of coastal areas, this involvement serves as a means of raising public awareness and concern for mangrove conservation and the importance of sustainably protecting the environment.

Muhammad Tisnaini, a member of the Sumbawa Mangrove Community, expressed his appreciation for the mangrove planting program, which has provided tangible benefits to coastal communities.

"We have mentored five community groups who are now able to produce seedlings and plant them independently. The presence of mangroves also helps fishermen because they provide habitat for various fish species, so they don't have to go too far out to sea to catch fish," said Tisnaini.

The mangrove planting activity in Labuhan Alas reflects the ongoing collaboration between the government, business, academics, and the community in preserving the mangrove ecosystem as a natural coastal protector, a habitat for biodiversity, and a carbon sink.