Indonesia pushes tourism to boost mangrove restoration

FILE PHOTO: General view of mangrove area at Balikpapan Bay, one of nearby areas of Indonesia's projected new capital called Nusantara, in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Tourists in Indonesia are discovering the benefits of mangroves as the archipelago pushes to replant or conserve carbon-rich coastal areas that have been decimated by human activity.

Connie Sihombing, a 50-year-old resident of Jakarta, does not mind that she can hear traffic or planes flying above as she paddles her kayak through murky waters and the arching roots of mangrove trees.