Economic Benefits and Community Support for Mangrove Conservation: Evidence from Sungai Bakau Village

Economic Benefits and Community Support for Mangrove Conservation in Sungai Bakau Village examines the role of mangrove ecosystems as ecological resources that provide economic benefits and support coastal community welfare. This study focuses on coastal communities in Sungai Bakau Village, Kumai District, Kotawaringin Barat Regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, with the objective of analyzing direct and indirect economic benefits of mangrove ecosystems and determining their influence on community support for mangrove conservation programs. This research employed a quantitative survey method involving 25 respondents selected through quota accidental sampling. Data were collected through field observations, structured interviews, and questionnaires using a Likert scale, then analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression. The results showed that communities had positive perceptions of mangrove economic and ecological benefits, with indirect economic benefits obtaining the highest mean score (54.48), followed by direct economic benefits (47.48) and community support for conservation programs (46.84). However, the statistical analysis indicated that economic benefits did not significantly influence community support for mangrove conservation programs. The findings conclude that sustainable mangrove conservation requires not only economic approaches but also strengthening environmental awareness, community participation, institutional capacity, and collaborative management.