Mangrove Rehabilitation and Conservation Project (Papua New Guinea)

Southeast Asia and the Pacific coast host the world’s most diverse and expansive mangrove ecosystems. However, many areas have been lost or degraded due to fishpond conversion, land reclamation, and overharvesting.

Mangrove forests hold immense ecological importance, acting as vital nurseries that protect a wide range of species from predators, intense heat, and powerful tides. Beyond sustaining rich biodiversity, these coastal ecosystems excel at capturing carbon—removing up to five times more carbon dioxide than land-based forests—making them vital in the effort to mitigate climate change.

Rehabilitation of mangrove ecosystems are important tools to reverse these losses. However, success rates have been disappointing, with only an estimated 25–35% of mangrove rehabilitation projects considered successful. Contributing factors include poor planning, hydrological issues, inadequate oversight, and poor seedling quality.

One major challenge has been the quality of seedlings. BCC, in collaboration with Independent Forester and utilizing Swedish technology, has developed an innovative containerized growing system that combines elements of hydroponics, aquaculture, and forestry.

This BCC growing system has been used in a pilot research nursery commissioned in 2023 in Papua New Guinea, as part of TotalEnergies’ Zero Net Deforestation project. The integrated approach aims to increase the rehabilitation success rate to 75%. The Koke Hanua (KH) Mangrove Nursery has a capacity of producing 8,000-20,000 mangrove seedlings annually. These seedlings will not only support Papua LNG’s efforts but will also be shared with local stakeholders engaged in mangrove rehabilitation initiatives. To date, approximately 100,000 seedlings have been successfully established.