TAIPING: Unsustainable logging over the last 50 years has left villagers of Kampung Kuala Gula, 50km from here, without a natural buffer against high tide, erosion and the waves of 2004 tsunami. Over-exploitation of the mangrove trees by the locals, which they sold as charcoal and building material, also affected their livelihood.

The complex mangrove riverine system provided them fish, shrimps, cockles and crabs, which they depended on to earn a living. However, uncontrolled commercial activities, including converting parts of the forest into plantations, resulted in depleting marine life and dangerous direct exposure to tidal waves.

But the locals are now more aware of the problem, thanks to the educational programmes undertaken by the Global Environment Centre (GEC) with the support of Iris Corporation Berhad.

For the first time since the 1950s, the locals participated in a mangrove planting exercise to create a natural buffer to protect their inland settlement of about 50 households.

Joining hands with volunteers from GEC, Iris Corporation and Friends of Mangrove, they planted 1,000 mangrove seedlings under the rehabilitation programme known as "Iris' Mangrove Therapy Day" here on Friday.

GEC's programme coordinator Niki Kamal said the mangrove planting was carried out at the spot where part of the forest once stood.

In the 1950s, the villagers fell the trees along the coast and erected a bund to protect their settlement from the occurrence of high tide. They also cut and sold the trees to the extent that the decreasing number of trees started to have negative impact on them, she added.

"Over the years, the bund collapsed in some parts which caused the tide to reach their settlement. Their livelihood was also badly affected. In 2006, GEC learnt of the situation here and from then on, we started capacity building programme involving the locals where we educate them about sustainable activities and train them to preserve the bio-diversity of the mangroves."

Niki said the degradation of the mangrove forest here came about because the forest was not under the jurisdiction of the state Forestry Department.

"It has been a journey of sorts for us in GEC since we started our rehabilitation programme in Kuala Gula but the locals have been supportive of our efforts."

She said two species of mangroves were planted during the one-hour exercise which saw the participation of about 100 volunteers.

The seedlings were sponsored by Iris Corporation Berhad, which had also worked with GEC in its first joint tree planting project in Teluk Gong, Klang, last year.

The seedlings were grown on the property of Iris Corporation Berhad chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail in Kuala Gula. Razali is also a member of GEC's advisory panel.