People, The Motivator for A Green Shoreline

By Wan Shahara Ahmad Ghazali KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- The fishing community live within the coastal ecosystem but how far does the community knows of the mangrove forests or the mangrove swamp's significant role in their ecosystem? The local fishing community is well aware of the mangrove forest's role in preventing coastal erosion, and in sheltering and providing breeding space for many aquatic life forms. A local fishing community is aware that a mangrove forest prevents coastal erosion, and in sheltering and providing breeding space for many aquatic life forms. Coastal communities have learnt that mangrove forests act as buffer zones and help to reduce the impact of strong waves and winds on their lands. Mangrove forests protect coastal villages from tsunamis and strong winds. Some of the rural dwellers who are aware of the importance of mangrove forests had set up the Rural Dwellers Collective Society after the 2004 tsunami. This active setup is increasingly known as Rural Citizens, and its coordinator Abdul Aziz Man admitted that the initiative started by the villagers in Kuala Muda plays a vital role in ensuring the safety and the well-being of the fishing communities. IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVE FORESTS Abdul Aziz said the Forestry Department and the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and several public universities have helped to enlighten rural communities on the importance of mangrove forests. "We need not understand how technology reduces the impact of strong winds and tsunamis on coastal communities. We should simply understand the significance of coastal forests and the basics of conservation. "This basic knowledge teaches us to protect coastal forests which will in turn protect our lives, villages and our livelihood," he said to Bernama when met at FRIM near here. A VIBRANT ECOSYSTEM Abdul Aziz hopes that his counterparts all over the country will understand the importance of pine trees on sandy beaches and the importance of mangroves in swampy areas. They serve as a barrier against strong winds and tsunamis. "Cutting down mangrove forests is a huge mistake. Instead, fishermen should plant more trees along coastlines," he explained. Four mangrove species that can withstand harsh weather conditions are Api-api (Avicennia), Bakau Minyak (Rhizophora), Perepat (Sonneratia), and Berus (Bruguiera). Their prop roots allow other species of plants to thrive. In addition, the roots of these mangrove species trap mud and sediments. This helps to strengthen the structure of soil. Mangrove forests are home to microorganisms like zooplanktons, crabs, shrimps, fishes, and even big reptiles like crocodiles. A mangrove forest is an important breeding ground for a number of commercial species of animals. In Malaysia, young shellfishes and kerapu (grouper) fries are found in this ecosystem. A FISHERMAN'S ROLE "In short, the mangrove forest managed sustainably is an important contributor to the fishermen's income derived from fishing, agriculture activities and eco-tourism," he said. Volunteer organisations, including Rural Citizens, are actively promoting awareness campaigns on the preservation of mangrove forests. They also shine light on the importance of mangrove forests. The priority for Rural Citizens now is to expand knowledge, bring about a change in attitude, devise action plans and enhance expertise in roping in the stakeholders to maintain a sustainable environment. "This is something that we have to stress on as the environment in our own state is seeing massive destruction due to the greed of a few," explained Abdul Aziz. AN ERODED ECONOMY The destruction of the environment, he said, is now being felt by many people in the form of poor health and loss of economic opportunities. Therefore, Rural Citizens has outlined four important objectives that need to be adopted – managing the environment, boosting biodiversity, managing physical development, and protecting the livelihood of locals. Rural Citizens has five roles - creating societal awareness on balanced and sustainable development, creating an alternative development model, encouraging free and critical thinking on environment management, monitoring activities that threaten environment and the public, and encouraging the public’s participation. CAPACITY BUILDING MODEL Rural Citizens is keen on implementing a capacity building module and during its inaugural programme in Sungai Petani Kedah, it managed to gather 1,000 members of the society. The highlight of the programme was the planting of 3,500 Rhizophora saplings in Merbok Mangrove Forest in the Kuala Muda district. Villagers, students, volunteers from universities, the Forestry Department and Honda-Hicom managed to complete the task in two hours. They also established the Teenage Environment Activist Club to enlist children and teenagers in villages as environment activists with the right attitude and principles. Overall, Rural Citizens has managed to enlighten coastal communities on the importance of mangrove forests. -- BERNAMA