Replanting the mangroves along Indonesia's coasts<\/p>\n
Sukristijono Sukardjo, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The long-neglected mangrove coastal areas of Indonesia are
\nonce again in the news, although thankfully not because of any
\nnatural disaster, but due to the announcement of plans to
\nredevelop a mangrove belt along the coast, especially in Aceh.<\/p>\n
\"Take a long look at the mangroves in Aceh, it may be the
\nlast you may see,\" says an article: de vloedbosschen in Atjeh, in
\nthe Dutch scientific journal, Tectona of 1923.<\/p>\n
This is like a bad horror movie; the mangroves in Aceh face
\nalmost certain doom. Today it has come true in Aceh in 2005.<\/p>\n
The recommendation of the article in Tectona also states: \"The
\npreservation of the existing mangrove swamps in Aceh and a
\nregulation to stop their exploitation is urgent.\"<\/p>\n
Protecting this vast area from environmental destruction by
\nthe planting of mangrove plants and\/or other coastal flora (both
\nCalophyllum (mangrove) formation and Cemara, (Casuarina
\nequisetifolia) along the seafront had thus been mooted before.\"<\/p>\n
The coastal area of Indonesia is approximately 108,000
\nkilometers long and covers almost 50 percent of the country's
\ntotal land mass. Indonesia stretches over 5,000 km from Sumatra
\nto New Guinea, its coastal zones are home to about 65 percent of
\nthe total population of the country and provides the natural
\nresources base on which such a broad range of human activity
\ndepends. It therefore is vulnerable.<\/p>\n
The importance of protecting these areas with mangroves must
\nbe firmly underscored. Moreover, this important fauna is the
\nnation's first line of defense in times of natural calamities, as
\nevidenced in Aceh, which this newspaper has made the point of
\nstressing so far to focus attention on this neglected resource
\nand the importance of its redevelopment.<\/p>\n
The saddest part of the whole thing is that the coastal areas
\nof the country once boasted some of the densest and largest
\nmangrove forests in the world. Again, Aceh is in fact an example
\nof the brackish water ponds (tambak) development policy. The
\nquestion should be: Is it necessary and relevant to use mangrove
\nareas for tambak development?<\/p>\n
Although the country still has the most mangrove stands, they
\nare very depleted at present, and suffer from environmental
\nneglect on a huge scale, having been sacrificed to the avarice of
\nman and poorly conceived economic policies. Look at the Mahakam
\ndelta in East Kalimantan, the mangroves have been nearly wiped
\nout.<\/p>\n
This is in contradiction to the spirit of both Agenda 21 and
\nthe Rio de Janeiro Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of
\nJune 1992.<\/p>\n
Most recently, Aceh was decimated by a tsunami. Mangrove
\nreforestation has been touted as a possible preventative measure
\nagainst future tsunamis.<\/p>\n
The denuding of the mangrove forests, which is mostly illegal,
\nhas destroyed the natural habitat of marine life, important to
\nthe fishing areas of Indonesia. Scientific reports say more than
\n450 varieties of commercially important fish species depend on
\nmangrove stands for their food sources, breeding, nurseries,
\nfeeding, spawning grounds, as well as nesting sites for a variety
\nbirds.<\/p>\n
Inopportune construction of tracts of land reclaimed from the
\nsea and conversion for settlements etc. in Jakarta, for instance,
\nhas led to the shifting of estuaries and greatly disturbed the
\necological balance -- driving many fish to extinction.
\nIt is not only an environmental crime, but also a loss of social
\nethics and morality. Now mostly choked, these reclaimed tracts
\nalso aggravate seasonal flooding.<\/p>\n
I do not want to see Jakarta end up like Aceh. With mangrove
\nswamps already reduced to less than half of their volume in a
\nperiod of only four decades, and the rest threatened by
\nincreasing salinity and soil erosion, there is a crying need to
\nattend to this urgently.<\/p>\n
A long-term plan of structural measures designed to contain
\ntidal surges and to protect life and property along the coast was
\nenvisaged some years back but could not be implemented due to
\nresource constraints. Land reclamation schemes in the coastal
\nzones were once also a much-talked about idea, and recent reports
\nindicate this is part of an overall plan taken up by the
\nauthorities in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In this regard, people should be made aware that reclaimed
\nland must be given over to mangrove afforestation for a period of
\nnot less than 10 years before it can be used for purposes of
\nbusiness and\/or agriculture. The authorities must, therefore, be
\non guard against encroachment for it will be this waiting period,
\nwhich will be the hardest for people starved of agricultural
\nland. However, if this waiting period is not observed, the whole
\npurpose will be lost.<\/p>\n
Preservation of the mangrove coastal regions is essential for
\neconomic development, for the inter-dependence with the uplands
\nand the marine life in the vicinity has long-term socio-economic
\nimportance for the people. For Aceh, my concept will be the
\n\"hinterland development-friendly mangrove belt\".<\/p>\n
This concept is an ecosystem approach as the primary framework
\nfor action under the CBD convention (decision V\/6) at the Fifth
\nMeeting in Nairobi 2000. The choice of mangrove trees (based on
\naut-ecology) must also be given the concern and attention it
\ndeserves to prevent more mistakes. Coconut and\/or palm trees in
\nbeach areas in the ecotone-mangrove belt in both swampy and muddy
\nareas, have always been excellent for use as wind-breakers in
\nstorms.<\/p>\n
If good sense prevails, the coastal zone can be successfully
\ntransformed into the finest mangrove green belt we could wish
\nfor, but care will have to be exercised to see that the growing
\ntrees are properly protected from human predators lest the green
\nbelt be decimated before it has a chance to grow.<\/p>\n
Aceh, you are the excellent example for us to learn from.
\nThanks must also go to the tsunami; because it removed our
\nblindness and now many people in Indonesia appreciate mangroves.
\nBut will our government officials, lawmakers and development
\nplanners listen to these voices speaking up for Indonesia's
\ndiminishing mangroves?<\/p>\n
The writer is a Professor of Mangrove Ecology at the Center
\nfor Oceanographical Research and Development, Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences. He can be reached at s_sukardjo@yahoo.com.<\/p>",
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