IMPACT Program achieves 100% of mangrove restoration target in Paser
The IMPACT program (Indika Energy Mangrove Program in Action), began with a simple but powerful belief: that restoring nature is not just an environmental effort, but a gift to future generations. In 2023, Indika Energy set out on a journey to rehabilitate 250 hectares of mangrove forests in Paser, East Kalimantan—a landscape where the sea meets the land, and where mangroves serve as both protector and provider. What started as a vision grew into a three-year movement powered by collaboration, perseverance, and the spirit of the local communities.
Each year brought a new chapter. In the beginning, the focus was on learning and laying foundations—educating communities, preparing the land, and planting the first 46,600 seedlings across 35 hectares. As confidence grew, so did the scale. The following year, more villages stepped in, more hands joined the effort, and 115 hectares came to life with over 141,100 new mangrove seedlings. Finally, in the last year, the momentum carried the team across the finish line. With 100 additional hectares rehabilitated, the program not only reached its goal—it surpassed it, planting a total of 324,200 mangroves across nine villages.
But the heart of the IMPACT story is not just in the numbers. It is in the return of life to the coastline: the sight of long-tailed macaques swinging through the branches, the quiet presence of proboscis monkeys, the scuttle of horseshoe crabs, and the flight of birds reclaiming their habitat. It is in the fishermen who once again find abundant shrimp, crabs, and shellfish—proof that a healthier mangrove forest brings new hope to the community.
This is also a story of people rising together. Through every planting session and community training, local groups gained the skills and confidence to care for the mangrove forests themselves. What began as a corporate initiative transformed into a shared mission—one where villagers became guardians of their own coastline, ensuring that the benefits of this restoration will endure far beyond the program’s completion.
When Indika Energy and the Paser Regency Government gathered in Tajur Village to mark the closing of the program, the celebration felt like a homecoming. Leaders, community groups, and partners stood together, not just to recognize the end of a project, but to honor the beginning of a healthier, stronger ecosystem. The restored mangrove belt now stands as a living legacy—absorbing carbon, protecting shorelines, and nurturing biodiversity.
IMPACT is more than an achievement; it is a testament to what can happen when people, nature, and purpose move in harmony. And as the mangroves continue to grow, so too does the belief that collective action can shape a more resilient and sustainable future for Paser and beyond.
