Supporting Carbon Trading Agenda, Udayana University Research Team Maps Blue Carbon Potential in Benoa Bay

• Posted by: Admin
• Jumat, 18 September 2026
• Has been read 22 time(s)

DENPASAR, August 31, 2026 – In an effort to strengthen Indonesia's position in the global climate change mitigation agenda, a research team from Udayana University (Unud) is currently conducting strategic research titled "Blue Carbon Projection of Mangrove-Seagrass Ecosystems in Benoa Bay and Its Surroundings as Well as Economic Valuation to Support the Carbon Trading Agenda." Funded through Unud's Institutional Strategic Research scheme (Riset Strategis Institusi or RSI), the research is led by coastal remote sensing academic and expert from the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (FKP), Abd Rahman As'syakur, Ph.D.

This ongoing research aims to project blue carbon stocks and sequestration rates in mangrove and seagrass bed ecosystems in Benoa Bay through spatial modeling based on remote sensing and field verification, which is then integrated with economic valuation analysis as a baseline pricing reference for the carbon market.

Team Leader Abd Rahman As'syakur, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of precise data in measuring these coastal carbon stocks. "Currently, our team is intensively conducting field measurements and spatial modeling to calculate carbon content from vegetation to soil sediment. We want to present transparent and measurable science-based data to meet the Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) standards required in carbon trading transactions," said As'syakur.

He added that the Benoa Bay ecosystem has environmental dynamics that are critical for Bali. "Through this ongoing research, we are not only measuring current conditions, but also projecting future carbon sequestration potential to draft an inclusive and sustainable carbon credit scheme," he added.

The execution of this research delivers a comprehensive impact across three main levels:

• For Indonesia: The findings provide an integrated scientific database to support the national carbon trading scheme, strengthen commitments to achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and accelerate the Net Zero Emission 2060 agenda.

• For Udayana University (Institution): It reinforces Unud's commitment as a center of excellence in developing interdisciplinary research based on tropical marine and coastal environments at both national and international levels.

• For the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (FKP): It enhances FKP Unud's academic capacity and research reputation, while demonstrating the faculty's concrete role in producing science-based policy recommendations for local and central governments.

Through the continuation of this RSI research, Udayana University hopes that the Benoa Bay region can be optimized as a national pilot model for blue carbon ecosystem management that holds ecological value while providing sustainable economic benefits.