Legal Literacy - Mangrove forests are unique ecosystems located on the coast, functioning as a buffer between land and sea. These ecosystems play an important role in climate change mitigation, habitat protection, and providing economic resources for coastal communities. However, mangrove forests face serious threats from illegal logging, land conversion, and the impacts of climate change itself. In this context, the urgency of stricter regulations is becoming increasingly pressing to protect mangrove forests from further damage. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the area of mangrove forests in Indonesia in 2020 was approximately 3.48 million hectares, but this number continues to decline due to various detrimental factors (BPS, 2021). 

The Role of Mangrove Forests in Climate Change Mitigation

Mangrove forests have an extraordinary ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the main greenhouse gas causing climate change. According to research published in the journal *Nature Climate Change*, mangrove forests can store up to four times more carbon than other tropical forests (Donato et al., 2011). In Indonesia, which has about 23% of the world's total mangrove forests, this potential is enormous. However, with more and more mangrove forests being lost, this carbon sequestration potential is also reduced. Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) shows that between 2000 and 2016, Indonesia lost approximately 1.3 million hectares of mangrove forests, which contributed to increased carbon emissions (KLHK, 2017).