Prospect of Protection and Development Sea Grass Ecosystem as
Carbon Sink and Carbon Source Due to Climate Change
Ria Tri Vinata
1
, Umi Enggarsasi
1
, Besse Sugiswati
1
and Ibnu Asqori Pohan
2
1
Law Faculty, Wijaya Kusuma Surabaya University, Jalan Dukuh Kupang XXV/54, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
2 Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Brawijaya University, Jalan Veteran Malang, Malang, East Java, Indonesia
Keywords: Seagrass, Marine Environment Protection, Law Construction.
Abstract: The sea has an important role in the global carbon cycle, about 93% of the Earths CO2 is circulated and
stored through the sea. The sea, including coastal ecosystems, can store large amounts of carbon and over a
relatively long period of time. Marine waters have 3 coastal ecosystems that include mangrove ecosystems,
seagrass ecosystems and coral reef ecosystems. Indonesia coastal area with a seagrass area of about 30,000
km2, the second largest in the world after East Australia, is likely to have considerable capacity in storing
CO2. Given the level of destruction of seagrass beds determine the condition of ecosystem then to
determine the level of damage required standard criteria applicable in all regions in Indonesia. This study
uses the standard criteria of KMNLH No.200 / 2004. Information on seagrass capacity as carbon storage is
still limited, especially in Indonesia, so research on measuring carbon stocks on seagrasses is necessary and
seagrass protection as carbon sinks and carbon sources in marine areas need to be re-constructed. Prospects
for the protection of the marine environment especially seagrass beds are needed as an effort to protect the
sea as carbon sink and carbon source. Indonesia in this case is entitled to pursue long-term strategic interests
so as to clarify the role of Indonesia in the world marine fishery policy arena that is beneficial for the
sustainability and sustainability of its marine resources. This study focusses on the sea as an absorber and
release of carbon dioxide as a result of climate change that can provide protection against the sea through a
new policy that must exist. This research method is with normative juridical research type with approach
problem of statute approach, conceptual approach, and comparative approach. This study examines and
manages the research data by tracing the efforts of establishing international law to the sea as carbon release
and absorption and its implementation of the Indonesian marine territory. The result of this research is
grouping of seagrasses as carbon sink and carbon source, mapping of seagrass-related sea area as absorbent
and release of carbon dioxide, legal reconstruction to protect marine environment especially seagrass as
absorbent and release of carbon dioxide.
1 INTRODUCTION
Climate change is a scientific phenomenon that has
been scientifically proven. Article 1 The UNFCCC
defines climate change as a change in climate caused
either directly or indirectly by human activities that
alter the composition of the global atmosphere and
natural climate variability observed over a period of
time. In general, there are four climate change
impacts: rainfall, extreme weather, temperature rise
and sea level change. Thus, climate change can lead
to serious problems such as rob floods, disease
vectors and drought that could affect communities,
especially poor people who lack the knowledge and
capacity to respond to the impacts of climate change.
The impacts of climate change will aggravate the
conditions that have occurred and reduce the ability
of ecosystems to withstand subsequent changes.
(Kennedy and Bjork, 2009)
Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in
the world, which stretches 5,000 km from the Indian
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and consists of nearly
13,500 islands. Most of the islands are volcanic
islands that emerge from deep sea waters. As many
as 16% of the world's coral reefs (more than 39,500
km2) are located in Indonesia. Only Australia has
larger coral reefs (42,000 km2).
Marine waters have 3 coastal ecosystems that
include mangrove ecosystem, seagrass ecosystem
and coral reef ecosystem. The seagrass ecosystem is
Vinata, R., Enggarsasi, U., Sugiswati, B. and Pohan, I.
Prospect of Protection and Development Sea Grass Ecosystem as Carbon Sink and Carbon Source Due to Climate Change.
In Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (ANCOSH 2018) - Revitalization of Local Wisdom in Global and Competitive Era, pages 177-180
ISBN: 978-989-758-343-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
177

located between the two coastal ecosystems that
occur mutually beneficial interactions. Indonesia's
coastal territory with a seagrass area of about 30,000
km2, the second largest in the world after East
Australia, seagrass capability holds excess carbon
production in the sediment, as well as a relatively
long-term accumulation capability that makes the
seagrass role in storing carbon stocks more
significant compared to measurement based on the
area of cover and net primary production only.
(Gacia and Duarte, 2001)
Thus, seagrass beds can act as carbon sinks or
carbon sinks. Associated with climate change,
seagrasses become one of the most impacted
ecosystems.
Many seagrasses disappear primarily in the
mouth of the river and in shallow water. The main
cause is the rise in temperature in some shallow
water habitats. (Nontji, 2008)
Increased temperature effect on distribution and
reproduction process of seagrass. The decline in the
area and the destruction of seagrass ecosystems in
Indonesia occurs in line with the number of
turbulence on the surface of the water due to
activities for the purpose of economic improvement
that resulted in pollution that impact on the damaged
seagrass ecosystem.
Seagrass beds, one of the coastal ecosystem
constituent communities, have ecological functions
and economic value, are also habitats with high
biodiversity of marine life. The ecological functions
of seagrass ecosystems include hatcheries of various
species of fish, where various marine life foraging,
connecting terrestrial habitats and other marine
habitats, and stabilizing sediments to prevent coastal
erosion, etc
Seagrass beds also have a key function that can
be considered as carbon sinks. Based on the
absorption rate of Blue Carbon and carbon storage is
proportional to (and often higher than) the level of
carbon sequestration rich in terrestrial ecosystems
such as tropical rainforests or peatlands.
A recent report released by UNEP, IOC-
UNESCO, IUCN and FAO shows that as much as
7% of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is needed to
keep atmospheric concentrations below 450 ppm (a
level that the majority of scientists think will provide
a 50% chance of maintaining warming global within
two-degree boundary] can be achieved by protecting
and rehabilitating mangroves, salt marshes and
seaweed communities, in the hope of being achieved
by REDD.
Seagrass is good and free from pollution of the
marine environment able to support the local and
national economy. Therefore, the Government of
Indonesia should immediately provide legal
protection related to the marine environment
especially seagrass beds as a balancing climate
change. Information on seagrass capacity as carbon
storage is still limited, especially in Indonesia, so
research on the measurement of carbon stocks on
seagrasses needs to be done and seagrass protection
as carbon sinks and carbon sources in marine areas
need to be re-constructed.
2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A recent study of the extent of seagrass beds in
Indonesia by the LIPI Oceanographic Research
Center (2017) shows that seagrass area throughout
Indonesia is 150,693 16 ha. In the western part of
Indonesia, it is 4,409.48 hectares, while in the
eastern part of Indonesia it is 146,283.68 ha.
The condition of seagrass beds in Indonesia,
when based on Ministerial Decree No. 200 in 2004,
can be divided into three categories: healthy
(seagrass cover> 60%), less healthy (30-59.9%) and
unhealthy (0-29.9%). The study of LIPI
Oceanographic Research Center (2017), which is
based on 166 stations across Indonesia, shows that
the average seagrass cover is 41.79%, which means
"lack of health” (Guinotte and Fabry, 2008).
World Ocean Conference as an implementation
of the United Nation Framework of Climate Change
Convention is still very poor attention by
stakeholders and society, especially the sea as a
regulator of climate change. Can be proved by the
absence of clear regulation related to the sea as an
absorbent and release of carbon dioxide. Therefore,
this research will classify seagrass and mangrove as
carbon net sink and carbon source.
Policy is an action plan to guide decisions and
achieve results. Governments from countries around
the world are working on designing policies that will
stop climate change, helping people make
adjustments to past changes, and make better
preparations for future changes. Negotiations work
through international organizations that help
governments work together to make policy on many
important issues covering climate change (Harris,
1998). The international organization that leads
international policy-making is the United Nations
(UN), which covers 192 countries-almost every
country in the world.
Within the United Nations, a body called the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) is working on governing
ANCOSH 2018 - Annual Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities
178

countries to design climate change policies. The
UNFCCC holds important policy-making meetings
annually. Each UNFCCC country sends delegates or
representatives to participate in this policy meeting
to negotiate and make decisions on how to deal with
climate change. Non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), private parties, and special interest groups,
such as indigenous people’s organizations, also
attend this meeting to present their opinions and
influence decisions. However, only government
delegates make decisions at the UNFCCC.
The most important action being undertaken by
the UNFCCC at the moment is the policy of
assisting countries to halt or mitigate climate change
and make adjustments to the ongoing effects of
climate change. This policy creates plans,
encourages research, and supports countries with
money and technology to take action in solving
problems that come with climate change.
The UNFCCC sets out an overall framework for
intergovernmental efforts to address the challenges
posed by climate change. The Convention has been
ratified (approved) by 192 countries so it almost has
universal membership. According to the Convention,
governments: collect and share information on
greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and best
practices, launch a national strategy to address
greenhouse gas emissions and make adjustments to
expected impacts, including the provision of
financial and technological support to the state
Development, cooperate in preparing adjustments to
the impacts of climate change such as rising sea
levels, droughts and floods. The Convention came
into force on 21 March 1994. (Fourqurean, 2012)
Countries in the world are increasingly serious
about addressing climate change issues. Commenced
during the implementation of the UN Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de
Jenerio, Brazil, in 1992 or known as the Earth
Summit. UNCED then produced signatories to the
signing of the United Nations Framework on
Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). The
Convention's decision-making body is the
Conference of the Parties (COP). In addition, the
UN commissioned the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) to establish the Inter-
Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
which consists of the world's leading scientists for
scientific climate change measurement. One of the
most famous COP was the 3rd COP in Kyoto, in
December 1997 which resulted in the Kyoto
Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol aims to stabilize
greenhouse gas concentrations (including CO2) at a
level not harmful to humans, in which the period
from 2008 to 2012. However, until the end of the
Kyoto Protocol there is no significant reduction of
CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and no binding
agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol. Recent
developments show no hope of reducing CO2
emissions to the atmosphere, even some countries
that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol have already
withdrawn from their commitments. (Church and
White, 2006)
For that, it needs a structured effort in adapting
to the impacts of climate change, in addition to
mitigation campaign efforts continue to be
encouraged. Adaptation under the IPCC (2007a) is
an adjustment to the natural or human system in
response to climate change and its effects, both
current and anticipated for future changes,
adjustments can be either to reduce the bad or to
exploit the profitable opportunities. Various types of
adaptation that exist, among others: a. Proactive
adaptation conducted before climate change impacts
are observed (anticipatory adaptation), b. Adaptation
of spontaneity triggered by ecological changes in
natural systems and changes in well-being in human
systems; c. Planned adaptation, which is the result of
policy decisions arising from the awareness that a
change is being or is about to take place that requires
a concrete step to restore it to its original state or
regulate it.
3 CONCLUSIONS
A number of concrete actions can be taken to reduce
the impacts of climate change on people living in
coastal areas such as: Addressing threats to living
creatures in the sea that are not sources of climate
(e.g. overfishing and using environmentally
damaging and polluting) Climate will further
exacerbate the threat. Establish and manage
effectively marine conservation areas, including: (i)
maintaining the integrity of coral reef systems and
mangrove forests around the island that can help
protect coastal communities from storms; and (ii)
maintaining the health of reef fish populations that
can provide abundance and replacement Fish stocks
that have been depleted in the surrounding area.
Rehabilitation of mangroves and coral reefs and
other natural habitats that have been damaged.
Develop an ecosystem-based fisheries management
approach to increase the resilience of fish
populations.
Prospect of Protection and Development Sea Grass Ecosystem as Carbon Sink and Carbon Source Due to Climate Change
179

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