Incorporating Local Ecological Knowledge to strengthen mangrove restoration initiatives- A case on Demak, Indonesia

Abstract

Mangrove degradation affects Southeast Asian countries, which are home to the majority of the world's mangroves. The effects of mangrove decline pose a multitude of natural risks, exposing several coastal communities to extreme conditions and disproportionately exposing them to various hazards, including environmental and financial risks. With high dependency on mangrove resources and provisional services, degradation threatens the well-being of several communities, especially those located in coastal areas. This research recognizes that the efforts to address the issue have not yielded the necessary results, while the decline rates are rising continuously. While initiatives have explored several fields of study to address the ongoing issue, this thesis explores the potential of implementing Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) by exploring a single case study in Demak, a regency in Indonesia. A new framework is adapted utilizing a Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)-based framework that is further adapted and fortified with the existing Local Ecological Knowledge literature. To identify local knowledge with the possibility to strengthen mangrove restoration initiatives, six core principles are introduced, drawn from existing literature, compiling a self-reflecting framework that is connected to Community-Based Management (CBM) pillars. This is used to express practices at their level , best translated within a community. To collect local knowledge, twenty-three in-person semi-structured interviews took place during the field visit in Demak, visiting Purworejo and Timbulsloko villages. With the proper transcription and coding process, the results are presented in four overarching groups that reflect the Local Ecological Knowledge contents. With deviations from the literature, this study identifies different drivers of mangrove degradation and government distrust that exacerbate issues within the community concerning access to initiatives and aid. Participants highlight their enthusiasm for participation, which falls short to the lack of proper communication regarding ongoing or future programs. To fortify future programs, the connections to CBM are analyzed in the discussion chapter, offering unique insights, capturing social dynamics, and proposing recommendations that couldn’t be studied during this research alongside limitations.