Study highlights support and ecotourism value in Ngurah Rai mangrove park

Denpasar — A peer-reviewed study published on 27 July 2026 reports strong community support for mangrove conservation and significant ecotourism value in Bali’s Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park, but does not itself demonstrate whether restoration has produced measurable ecological or livelihood gains. The article by A. Dinda Lestari, Mufti P. Patria and Mega Atria examines community perceptions, mangrove biodiversity and the economic value of ecotourism in the park.

The study in TAPROBANICA describes Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park as a restored mangrove area facing ongoing anthropogenic pressure, and uses semi-structured interviews, field observations and biodiversity sampling to explore social and ecological conditions. It finds that residents show positive to very positive views of mangrove functions, restoration efforts and participation in conservation activities. The authors estimate the economic value of mangrove ecotourism at IDR 405,786,840,000 per year, highlighting the park’s socio-economic importance.

However, the study’s reported findings focus on current community attitudes, diversity status and economic valuation rather than on quantified restoration outcomes such as seedling survival or changes in income over time. The text does not provide restoration survival rates, baseline-versus-current biodiversity comparisons or direct measurements of household livelihoods before and after restoration. That limits the extent to which the study can be used to judge restoration success in ecological or socio-economic terms.

What the study measured

According to the authors, community perceptions are shaped by three main factors: membership in community-based organizations, participation in workshops and access to information about mangroves. They emphasize the role of local knowledge and cultural principles, including the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana and awig-awig customary rules, as foundations for conservation.

The study links these social and cultural dimensions to conservation effectiveness, arguing that positive perceptions, local institutions and knowledge systems support mangrove management in the park. This is presented as an interpretation of how social engagement relates to conservation, rather than as proof that specific restoration interventions have achieved defined ecological targets.

On the ecological side, the authors report that mangrove diversity in Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park is “moderate” and call for continued restoration efforts. They do not, in the available text, publish a detailed species list or abundance metrics within the article itself, though they describe the park as an example of successful mangrove restoration that remains vulnerable to ongoing human pressures.

Separate government and presidential communications refer to a rehabilitated mangrove conservation area in the wider Benoa Bay and Denpasar coastal zone, including a site of around 268 hectares restored from former shrimp ponds beginning in 1992, now supporting 33 mangrove species and 92 bird species.

The economic valuation section estimates the annual value of mangrove ecotourism in the park at IDR 405.8 billion, based on visitor use and ecosystem service valuation methods. This figure is an assessment of the economic importance of ecotourism; it is not presented as evidence that restoration activities have directly increased visitor spending, employment or local household income over time.

Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park as a restored mangrove landscape

Independent sources describe Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park as a large mangrove conservation area of about 1,373.5 hectares located near Bali’s main airport and spanning coastal zones of Denpasar and surrounding areas. Provincial statistics indicate that mangroves in the park account for around 72 percent of Bali’s total mangrove area, underscoring its importance for coastal protection and climate mitigation.

Official statements on nearby mangrove conservation sites in Benoa Bay note that rehabilitation began in 1992 on abandoned shrimp ponds and has led to a rich assemblage of mangrove species and birds, while also supporting shifts in local livelihoods from aquaculture to tourism and other ecosystem-based activities. National agencies highlight the park and surrounding mangrove areas as key locations for coastal rehabilitation, carbon storage and sustainable tourism, and recent reconstruction works have focused on visitor infrastructure such as boardwalks and nurseries without damaging the mangrove ecosystem.

These sources collectively present Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park as a long-running test of mangrove restoration and multi-purpose use — conservation, education, tourism and research — in a heavily developed coastal region. Yet, as the 2026 study demonstrates, positive perceptions and high estimated economic value do not in themselves answer whether restoration has improved biodiversity compared with pre-restoration conditions or how benefits are distributed among local communities. For that, repeated ecological surveys and detailed livelihood studies would be required alongside the social and valuation data now available.

Key figures confirmed in recent studies and official data:

• Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park mangrove area: approximately 1,373.5 hectares.
• Estimated annual ecotourism value in the park: IDR 405,786,840,000.
• Publication date of the TAPROBANICA study: 27 July 2026.
• Nearby rehabilitated mangrove conservation area from former shrimp ponds: about 268 hectares, restored since 1992.

Sources

• TAPROBANICA – "Community perception, biodiversity, and ecotourism in mangrove restoration, Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park, Bali, Indonesia"
• Symposium abstract book – economic valuation of mangrove ecotourism in Ngurah Rai GFP
• International Journal of Humanities Education and Social Sciences – Tahura Ngurah Rai mangrove area and ecotourism
• RRI article citing Bali Province Central Bureau of Statistics on Ngurah Rai mangroves
• Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic and Practice Studies – Bali Mangrove Forest and Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park
• CSR Strategy: IFAS and EFAS Analysis of Batu Lumbang Mangrove Ecotourism Area
• Official Presidential press release on mangrove conservation and rehabilitation near Benoa Bay
• World Water Forum press information on Tahura Ngurah Rai
• Article on national mangrove rehabilitation and Ngurah Rai Forest Park activities
• Biodiversitas – Estimation of carbon stock and economic valuation of mangrove ecosystem in Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park