Secretary-General of ASEAN Engages with the Participants of the 4th ASEAN Junior Fellowship Programme with the ASEAN Secretariat

7 August 2025 -

At the 28th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) held in Luang Prabang, Laos, on 7-8 August 2025, Dr. Ristianto Pribadi, Director of Mangrove Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, presented a report on the implementation of mangrove management strategies.

His presentation highlighted ASEAN’s commitments, project achievements, and strategic steps moving forward to protect the vital “mangrove forests” that play a crucial role for the environment and coastal communities.

ASEAN’s commitment to mangrove management began during the 14th ASOF meeting in Thailand in July 2011, where mangrove ecosystem conservation was discussed.

This was reinforced at the 15th ASOF meeting in Vietnam in 2012, where mangrove conservation became a key agenda.

As a follow-up, the ASEAN Mangrove Network (AMNET) was established in Surabaya, Indonesia, in February 2013. AMNET serves as a collaborative platform to promote regional cooperation in sustainable mangrove conservation and management. Between 2023 and 2025, AMNET—supported by the Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF)—successfully implemented a mangrove ecosystem management project, achieving several key milestones.

Through these efforts, ASEAN reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the sustainability of mangrove ecosystems for a greener and more resilient future.