Description
The involvement of women and youth is considered a crucial factor in the success of mangrove rehabilitation in Riau through the Mangrove for Coastal Resilience (M4CR) program, which promotes coastal ecosystem restoration while strengthening community economies.
The M4CR program is a mangrove rehabilitation initiative funded by the World Bank and led by the Ministry of Forestry through the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation (Dirjen PDASH). The program operates in four provinces: Riau, North Sumatra, North Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan, with a rehabilitation target of 41,000 hectares over the 2024–2027 period. In Riau, the target is 4,000 hectares spread across the regencies of Indragiri Hilir, Meranti Islands, Bengkalis, Pelalawan, and Rokan Hilir.
Furthermore, strengthening business groups is also being carried out through collaboration with the Mitra Insani Foundation. One example is the Assyifa Social Forestry Business Group (KUPS) in Indragiri Hilir, whose members are all women. In addition to support for equipment and production houses, this group received business management and capacity building training.