MANY MINDEDIndonesian women's mangrove group turns coastal restoration into income
Rhizopora, a women’s group founded in 2022 by Wisye Sahambangung in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, planted 30,000 mangrove trees during an 8-month project in 2026. The group sells seedlings for 2,500 rupiah each and collects mud crabs at 350,000 rupiah per kilogram. Members also use a savings-and-loans scheme to purchase housing—a critical need for single mothers in the community. This model directly links coastal ecosystem restoration to household income and asset building.
The system works through community ownership: Rhizopora collaborates with local partners like Yayasan Bumi Tangguh and CARE Indonesia to scale restoration while generating revenue. By converting mangrove planting into a cash stream, the group creates immediate economic value from ecological work. The savings scheme further addresses housing insecurity, showing how local environmental action can simultaneously improve resilience and meet basic needs.
This approach moves abundance by turning coastal protection into a financial tool. Women gain income from both seedling sales and crab harvesting, while the savings scheme provides tangible pathways to housing. For communities facing coastal erosion, this model reduces vulnerability without relying on external aid—making ecological resilience a direct driver of economic stability.
The project is currently in early implementation (2026 publication date), with all financial figures in Indonesian rupiah. Translation of the source interview and limited scale mean broader impact remains unverified. Next steps include assessing long-term mangrove survival rates and whether the savings scheme can expand to more households.
Source: Mongabay