Research to Support Ecosystem Resilience and Fishing Livelihoods in MPAs of Aceh, Indonesia
The Kepulauan Banyak and Pulau Pinang Pulau Siumat Pulau Simanaha (PiSiSi) marine protected areas (MPAs) in Aceh, Indonesia were established in 1996 and 2018 respectively. While the national and Aceh Province government has established a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this policy has not yet been reflected in MPA management, such as MPA zoning, management plans or sustainable livelihoods plans. However, the respective MPA authorities began evaluating zoning of both MPAs, the working unit of Ministry of Environment and Forestry for Kepulauan Banyak MPA in 2021 and the Aceh Government will do so in the PiSiSi MPA in 2025, providing the opportunity to include climate adaptation measures.
In this project, researchers will be partnering with MoEF working units, local stakeholders and Universities to assess the vulnerability of the ecosystems in these MPAs to climate change, including impacts and resilience, and identify ways to support coastal communities in developing effective adaptation measures.
Informing Management
In the course of evaluating zoning plans for the Kepulauan Banyak and PiSiSi MPAs, both authorities will also update their management plans, which currently do not specifically reflect climate considerations. The research outputs for this work aim to address that need by aligning the timing of outputs from the project with the zoning review and management processes. Further, by collaborating locally, the researchers aim not only to identify and fill critical data gaps and conduct the relevant analyses, but also to complement other scientific initiatives happening at the same time.
Research Team
- Dedi Kiswayadi, Aceh Program Manager – Indonesia, Fauna & Flora
- Rakhmat Dirgantara, Marine Coordinator – Indonesia, Fauna & Flora
- Cahyo Nugroho, Indonesia Country Director – Indonesia, Fauna & Flora
