GEC

Press Articles

Title:

IDS Malaysia Supports Mangrove Rehabilitation Efforts

Date:

27-Sep-2010

Category:

Forest and Wetland Conservation Programme

Source/Author:

Global Environment Centre

On a surprisingly cool Sunday afternoon, 120 IDS Malaysia staff volunteers sacrificed their day off and got down to some serious work of planting 2000 mangrove seedlings on Beting Labu Lemak, a newly formed island off the Klang Island Forest Reserve.

Leading by example, Country Managing Director, Ong Chong Beng, was enthusiastic and encouraged his staff volunteers to enjoy the unique experience of planting the Avicennia sp. And Sonneratia sp. seedlings. The mangrove planting was an initial step taken by IDS Malaysia as part of a much longer term plan to support the rehabilitation of the mangroves in the Klang Islands.

The Klang Islands are a colony of seven mangrove-covered islands in the estuary of the Klang River with associated mudflats and sandflats. The islands consist of about 11,000ha of mangroves and 4000ha of mudflats and are recognized as a site of national importance because it is an excellent example of an estuarine mangrove and mudflat system.

The islands are also an important site for migratory shorebirds and supports local coastal fishery activities as the area is an important breeding ground for marine life.

Over the years, however, the Klang Island mangroves have been slowly deteriorating due to an increase in shipping activities, development and pollution. In Selangor, it has been estimated that 60% of the state’s original mangrove area has been lost in the last 40 years.

Recognizing the importance of mangroves and the threats they face, IDS Malaysia, in partnership with Global Environment Centre (GEC), plans to initiate a long term mangrove rehabilitation programme with an important focus on local community participation and empowerment.

The rehabilitation programme will aim to provide capacity building for the local community to learn about the importance of mangroves and how they can play a role in its protection and conservation.

The IDS group incorporates a strong values system which includes serving the society and community to the best they can and IDS Malaysia believes that this project can make a significant impact in improving the livelihood of the local communities as well as conserving the Klang Island mangrove ecosystem. According to IDS Country Managing Director, Ong Chong Beng, he hoped that the staff volunteers will show commitment and passion towards future activities and be actively engaged in working with the local communities impacted by the degradation and loss of mangroves to help them improve their livelihoods.