Surf Protected Areas: Bridging Conservation, Communities, and Sustainable Development, in Western Sumatra, Indonesia

Surf ecosystems are regions where marine and terrestrial environments intersect and produce waves suitable for surfing. These ecosystems support rich biodiversity and coastal communities, offering ecological, economic, and social benefits. This project established a framework for understanding the costs and benefits associated with conservation of surf ecosystems in western Sumatra, Indonesia. This region was highlighted for its high quality surf spots and limited infrastructure. One novel strategy to advance surf conservation is the implementation of Surf Protected Areas (SPAs) using the LMMA (Locally Managed Marine Area) approach. SPAs provide a framework to support local communities and ecosystems by establishing legal and social mechanisms that enhance surf tourism and conservation. To assess the potential impacts of SPAs, we 1) mapped and characterized the state and natural value of surf ecosystems in Indonesia, 2) quantified monetary costs of protecting surf ecosystems and qualitatively analysed perceived costs of surf development, 3) analyzed and quantified the various benefits of protecting surf ecosystems, primarily those associated with coral reefs, and 4) developed a business case for implementing SPAs in western Sumatra. The business case synthesized the first three objectives to provide insight into scaling SPAs, identified potential funding mechanisms, highlighted benefits of SPAs, and provided recommendations for aligning SPAs with relevant policies and stakeholder priorities. Our analysis found that the targeted surf breaks and surrounding ecosystems in Sumatra ranked high in biodiversity but lack existing conservation efforts, illustrating a strong opportunity for surf conservation to meaningfully contribute to safeguarding biodiversity. Cost modeling indicated that supporting LMMA establishment would require approximately $30 per member of the village population, offering a practical benchmark for planning community-scale interventions. Surveyed surfers generally supported the economic benefits of developing surf tourism but were concerned about associated risks to the environment. Marine conservation interventions like SPAs can provide long-term economic and ecological benefits through protecting critical resources like coral reefs. Development of surf tourism under a conservation framework should be grounded in community values and priorities to encourage sustainable development that allows for economic growth while protecting marine ecosystems or resources.

Acknowledgements

UC Santa Barbara Bren School: Dr. Christopher Costello, Distinguished Professor and emLab Director; Dr. Hunter Lenihan, Professor; Dr. Andrew Plantinga, Professor

Conservation International Surf Conservation Team: Scott Atkinson, Senior Director; Marissa Miller, Senior Coordinator

Brian R. Crawford, University of Rhode Island

Ana Manero, Australian National University

Konservasi Indonesia

Historical data from North Sulawesi, used in our analysis, was generously provided by the University of Rhode Island and collected with funding support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)