Blue Waqf for Coastal Community Resilience: Legal Mechanisms for Climate Adaptation and Marine Ecosystem Protection

Abstract

Climate change, sea-level rise, and marine ecosystem degradation constitute multidimensional challenges that increasingly threaten the sustainability and adaptive capacity of coastal communities in Indonesia. Within this context, blue waqf has emerged as an innovative Islamic philanthropic instrument capable of integrating environmental sustainability principles with Islamic social finance. This study aims to analyze the legal mechanisms that enable blue waqf to contribute strategically to coastal resilience and marine ecosystem protection. Employing a normative legal research method, the study examines statutory frameworks related to waqf, environmental protection, and marine governance through a statute approach and a conceptual approach. Data were generated exclusively through an extensive literature review encompassing legislation, academic publications, policy documents, research reports, and official government sources. The qualitative analysis involved systematic data reduction, thematic categorization, and normative interpretation to synthesize the legal position and potential of blue waqf within the broader regulatory landscape. The findings demonstrate that integrating blue waqf into coastal protection requires cross-sector regulatory harmonization, particularly among the Waqf Law, the Law on the Protection and Empowerment of Fishermen, and coastal and small island management regulations. The literature also highlights that blue waqf can function as an alternative financing mechanism for mangrove restoration, coral reef conservation, blue economy initiatives, and community-based climate adaptation programs. Strengthening governance arrangements that ensure transparency, accountability, and community participation is essential to optimizing its role. Accordingly, blue waqf possesses significant potential as a legal and economic instrument aligned with sustainable development, the SDGs, and climate justice.