Women-Led Mangrove Restoration Strengthens Marine Protection Across the Coral Triangle

On Alor Island in eastern Indonesia, a group of women known as Kelompok Cinta Persahabatan plants mangrove seedlings along the retreating tide as part of their daily routine. Led by Mama Martha, the twelve women work to restore coastal forests that protect their villages from erosion, support fisheries, and secure resources for future generations. Their labor reflects a broader shift in marine conservation across the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity spanning Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

In March 2026, the Solutions for Marine and Coastal Resilience in the Coral Triangle (SOMACORE) program held its steering committee meeting and field visits on Alor. Supported by Germany's Federal Ministry for the Environment through the International Climate Initiative, SOMACORE works with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), governments, and communities to strengthen marine protected area governance and resilience across priority seascapes. The Alor visit brought together conservation organizations, universities, local authorities, and community representatives to discuss mangrove restoration, marine stewardship, dugong conservation, and waste management.

Dr. Jahved Ferianto Maro, Vice Rector at Universitas Tribuana Kalabahi, noted that the university's Center of Excellence recognizes traditional scientific knowledge as an important resource and source of expertise. The center has become a meeting point linking academic institutions, local government, conservation groups, and coastal communities. Partners also discussed the proposed Coral Reef Bond Indonesia initiative, a sustainable financing mechanism for marine conservation, and IUCN Green List assessments as indicators of conservation effectiveness.

Across the Coral Triangle, SOMACORE partners are moving beyond simply expanding protected areas toward improving how they are governed and sustained. In the Solomon Islands, communities from the Arnavon Community Marine Park participated in IUCN Green List self-assessments grounded in customary governance. In Papua New Guinea, field assessments in Lovongai and Murat marine protected areas highlighted the importance of Indigenous marine tenure systems and locally managed marine areas. These experiences demonstrate that effective marine protection requires integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary conservation frameworks.

At a May 2026 meeting of the CTI-CFF Marine Protected Area Technical Working Group in Malaysia, IUCN provided training on the Green List Self-Assessment Tool as a complementary mechanism for evaluating management effectiveness within the Coral Triangle Marine Protected Area System. Six nations agreed on draft policy recommendations recognizing the tool and supporting assessment progress from nine of the 12 nominated Green List pilot sites.

SOMACORE partners are documenting 30 to 50 conservation solutions from across the region through the PANORAMA Solutions platform, a CBD-recognized global resource for sharing conservation lessons. These documented solutions, including nominated Green List sites, will contribute to a forthcoming publication showcasing effective approaches. The Lesser Sunda Seascape, where Alor sits, is gaining recognition as a conservation priority within the Coral Triangle.

For Mama Martha and her companions, each seedling planted represents both immediate coastal protection and a contribution to a network of marine conservation spanning six nations and millions of square kilometers of ocean. The program illustrates how community-level action can inform regional policy, attract international financing, and validate generations of observational knowledge. When these connections function, marine conservation becomes self-reinforcing at every level.