Photo Credits: Earth Security.
The project
M40 partner project:
Taman Wisata Alam Angke Kapuk (TWA AK)
Location:
North Jakarta, Indonesia
For years TWA AK has been slowly bringing back 100 hectares of North Jakarta’s degraded mangrove coastline that were lost and then abandoned to sprawling fish farming. TWA AK’s unique planting method achieves a stunning 95% survival rate for new mangroves. Today, a vibrant ecosystem it provides an unusual green space and eco-tourism destination for Jakarta’s residents in one of the last mangrove havens in the capital city’s urban landscape.
Embedded in the urban landscape, TWA AK boasts thousands of tourists annually engaged in outdoor activities, walking and overnight stays at ecolodges. It creates jobs from rangers and conservation to hospitality services, and hosts researchers who study the mangrove ecosystem and its biodiversity with over 200 plant and animal species that are native to Indonesia.
Less recognised, however, is the natural protection that TWA AK’s restored urban mangroves provide to the city’s north residential and commercial buildings and infrastructure. Coupled with the blue carbon stored in these ecosystems, this provides a model for cities as the world’s tropical regions look to improve coastal adaptation in urban areas and move towards net-zero.
“Through our partnership with Earth Security we gained access to fund a high-quality and high-impact project that supports the sustainable transformation of cities.”
– Peter Hirsch, Head of Sustainability, 2150.vc
Catalysing impact funding via the M40 programme
- We developed a strategic funding partnership between TWA AK and M40 partner 2150.vc, a global venture capital fund focused companies and solutions that promote net-zero and resilient cities. A catalytic grant provided by 2150.vc, will plant 1,700 mangrove trees with one of the highest survival rates in Indonesia, enhancing blue carbon storage with coastal resilience services that serves as a model for other cities and communities.
- We provided TWA AK with the impact analysis and visualization of the flood protection benefits of its mangroves to the city of Jakarta. Working closely with our M40 partner SatSense, we identified the extent and location of over 500 hectares of commercial and residential property in North Jakarta that TWA AK’s mangrove forests are protecting from floods and rising sea levels. While this value does not immediately provide a return on investment for funders, it is envisioned to enhance the value that future blue carbon credits could play in the market and, importantly, support TWA AK’s business case with city of Jakarta’s authorities for extending its land concession.
- We are actively exploring with other M40 investors the deployment of catalytic impact investment to help boost TWA AK urban eco-tourism business model, which has the potential to grow significantly as one of the only accessible green spaces in the city of Jakarta, a workstream that continues to be explored.
Get in touch with us if you are interested to contribute to this impact model and its global replication or want to hear more about partnering with the M40 initiative.
“Through its M40 initiative, Earth Security is helping us expand our funding options, connecting us to funders that share our vision of impact and putting our project on the global map. They bring agility, access and knowledge on business models for nature-based solutions.”
– Ken Savitri Ambarsari, Managing Director, Taman Wisata Alam Angke Kapuk (TWA AK).
About
Earth Security’s M40 Initiative is mobilising private sector finance for mangrove asset businesses, creating an investment pipeline of high-impact projects that can deliver positive investment returns, protect biodiversity and vibrant nature-based local economies while advancing net-zero commitments. The M40 is supported by UBS Optimus Foundation and a network of funding partners including Good Energies Foundation, Djarum Foundation and the UBS Climate Collective.