2018
In 2018, MAP staff were asked to consult on 50ha of mangroves that had been enclosed and cleared in the Balikpapan Delta, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. MAP surveyed the site including pond floor elevation relative to sea level, and produced a restoration plan. The plan included strategies and dimension for pond wall breaches to reconnect them to the outside hydrology, and calculations for the breach dimensions. It also covered where and what to plant, if planting was desired over natural regeneration, and which areas would not work without significant intervention to improve soil drainage.
The challenge in these ponds was that the loss of tree cover had allowed the natural undulations of the mangrove floor to be eroded away. As hills were washed into and filled drainage channels, the pond floor became flatter, less well drained and often saturated. Saturated soils are difficult for mangrove establishment and hence little natural regeneration was occurring. Many of the recommendations worked to fix this issue.
