YOGYAKARTA — A student from UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta joined a coastal restoration effort that planted 500 mangrove seedlings at Baros Beach, Bantul, reinforcing the university’s growing engagement in sustainability initiatives aligned with global environmental goals.

The activity, held on Feb. 28 under the program “Sagara Lestari: Sejuta Mangrove untuk Pesisir Bumi”, brought together more than 100 volunteers, environmental advocates, and local stakeholders to strengthen natural coastal protection and marine ecosystems.

Among the participants was Al Hazmi Fakhrul Alim, an Industrial Engineering student at the Faculty of Science and Technology of UIN Sunan Kalijaga and the 2025 national maritime youth ambassador, Putra Bahari Indonesia. Hazmi also founded Mangrovolution, a youth initiative focused on mangrove conservation and environmental education.

Mangrove ecosystems play a critical role in climate resilience, protecting coastlines from erosion while serving as natural habitats for fish and marine biodiversity that support coastal food systems.

The initiative was organized in collaboration with the university’s SDGs Center and the Serayu Opak Progo Watershed Management Agency (BPDAS), reflecting a multi-sector approach linking academic institutions, government agencies and youth-led environmental movements.

“Protecting coastal ecosystems requires collaboration. Universities, communities and government institutions must work together so that environmental actions translate into long-term impact,” Hazmi said during the event.

The program also featured environmental education sessions promoting the national Gemar Makan Ikan campaign, which encourages fish consumption as part of efforts to improve public health and strengthen sustainable food systems.

Activities concluded with participants planting mangrove seedlings across the Baros conservation area, expanding what environmental groups describe as a growing green barrier along the Yogyakarta coastline—an example of how youth-driven initiatives from Indonesian universities are contributing to local climate action and sustainable coastal management.