Andina Anastasia Krey, Indonesia

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Andina Anastasia Krey, Indonesia   

x2019TTT   x2018TTT   x2016Scholar   xScholar  xTTT2018-2019   xIndigenous  xIndigenous Knowledge  xForestry  xOnline  xIndonesia
*-Organization name: USAID (United States Agency for International Development) Lestari
*-Organization full street address (in your local format): Jalan Cenderawasih (Depan Gedung DPRD Baru), SP 2, Timika, Papua 99910
*-Organization full mailing address, if different: 
*-Country: Indonesia
*-Work phone with country and area code: +62 811 4827 265
*-Work fax with country and area code:
*-Scholar email: andinakrey@gmail.com 
*-Scholar Phone: +62 823 9751 3350

Mangrove forests are among the world’s most important ecosystems. Mangroves may assist with stabilizing the climate due to their exceptional ability to sequester carbon. It was also found that mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics

Our organization exists to improve the management of forests in Indonesia that is highly related with the global warming/climate change issues. One of the Districts we are working with is Mimika District, Papua, where I am placed.

Mangrove forest in Mimika District is among one of the largest blocks of mangrove forests in the world, also with a very high biodiversity rate for a mangrove ecosystem. In other places, mangrove trees that are normally around 3-9 m, here in Mimika you can find the same species with height more than 30m standing in large areas.The traditional community that live around the forest is heavily depending on the forest, their local wisdom in managing the forest make the mangrove forests still exist and healthy.

It is essential for our organization to provide help for the management of mangrove forest in Mimika Distrcit also because: 1. Many aquatic species utilize mangrove forest as feeding, breeding and/or nursery sites. It is estimated that 80% of commercial fish utilise mangrove vegetation during their life cycle. 2. Mangroves can reduce erosion, increase the abundance of phytoplankton and thus provide food for fish. 3. Heavy metals can be adsorbed to the surface of sediment in mangrove forests, thereby reducing their availability for uptake by pelagic organisms. 4. The capability of mangrove forests to trap sediment is also beneficial to surrounding subtidal vegetation, by reducing turbidity and therefore improving light attenuation to seagrass environments.

GIS Challenges I found are more about modelling, I have been asked a lot by multistakeholders about what if this and what if that, what will happen if we do this and that, how it would affect our mangrove forest, but I didn’t know how to use ArcGIS to help solving their problems.

Challenges I face is not necessarily from the GIS techniques, but more because of tons of legal documents and regulations and laws in our country, so sometimes when we have a solution for a problem related to spatial planning, we need to make sure that our ideas can be applied according to law, but we have so many laws to read and sometimes difficult to access. But I am thankful because the multistakeholders here, especially agencies of the local government (that understand laws regulated by institutions), are always happy to help me with their governance specialty.

I am interested in modelling the impact of altering the shape and the depth of a river basin (for ports, shipping, etc). Not only that, I like to use a biological gun to solve the problem expected to occur by conducting the development. For example, when we dig some sediment at upper part of a river (to provide 24 hour access of transportation of local boats), can we make sure which part of the river to alter (and how deep, and where and what shape), so that we minimize problem the impact like the sedimentation in the coastal area, near delta, where the bigger ships travel. Then I could continuewith where can we plan mangrove, which species and which method of planting to support the solution of the problem. I did a lot of work with mangrove forest (since I was in undergraduate), so the biology of the forest is quite alright for me, but the GIS techniques to model that is something I need to start learning.

I am also a volunteer who help several local NGOs, helping them establishing work plans as well as providing technical support as a mangrove and spatial and GIS specialist (for free, during my spare time in weekends), and even help them editing their proposals for donors. The NGOs are including Mimika indigeneous woman network and Shed of Revival. Both NGOs are focusing on developing human resource of indigeneous Papuans, women and children and mangrove forests where the traditional community rely their lives on. 

describe the work that your current organization does: USAID’s LESTARI project supports the Government of Indonesia to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conserve biodiversity in carbon rich and biologically significant forest and mangrove ecosystems. Built on the strong foundation of USAID’s IFACS project, LESTARI applies a landscape approach to reduce GHG emissions, integrating forest and peatland conservation with low emissions development (LEDS) on other, already degraded land. This is achieved through improved land use governance, enhanced protected areas management and protection of key species, sustainable private sector and industry practices, and expanded constituencies for conservation among various stakeholders. LESTARI is implemented under the leadership of Tetra Tech and a consortium of partners including WWF-Indonesia, Winrock International, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Blue Forests, Yayasan Sahabat Cipta, PT Hydro South Pole Carbon, Sustainable Travel International (STI), Michigan State University, and the FIELD Foundation. LESTARI runs from August 2015 through July 2020. 
As it is widely known, Indonesia plays a critical role related to global warming, due to a huge amount of emission caused by deforestation in this country. In Indonesia, Papua is a Province with the most abundance natural resources including forest. Mangrove forest in Mimika, Papua, where I work, is among one of the largest block of mangrove forests in the world, with an outstanding biodiversity in it. I have been interested in remote sensing of mangrove forest since I was in undergraduate study. I am consistent in increasing my skill on this through my academic study (master degree) and through my working experience. Why is mangrove forest is important related to climate change? Because in the tropics, the capability of this forest to absorb carbon is greater than coral reef and tropical rain forest. It is also highly essential to maintain fish stock.