On fragile Sumatran peatland, a farmer fights to bring back lost mangroves

Sungai Apit, Indonesia - Harisyah, a 53-year-old farmer cultivating palm oil and pineapple, was knee-deep in peat during the fading light. He had been clearing the riverbank since morning, planting wooden stakes into the peat at 1.5-meter intervals. "We're going to use this location as a nursery for the new seedlings," Harisyah explained to Mongabay Indonesia. "The next generation will grow up close to mangroves, learning about them through play and activities."

The village of Tanjung Kuras, situated on the coastal Siak district of Sumatra island, faces increasingly erratic weather patterns. Researchers have observed the rapid retreat of the coastline as the area's peat soils continue to subside. Residents also suffer frequent tidal flooding, something they attribute to the loss of the mangrove forests that once protected the shoreline.

Harisyah shared an example of this, noting that strong winds during Ramadan lifted the dome off their village mosque. "It's because there's no mangrove forest as a buffer to block the wind," he said. "It's been turned into an oil palm plantation - so the wind from the sea blows straight onto land."

Harisyah plants a marker stake at the mangrove planting site.