Coastal areas damaged in Balikpapan

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: One kilometer of coastal area in Penajem Paser Utara regency, Balikpapan Bay, has been heavily damaged by seawater abrasion.

"The damage is inevitable because the uncontrolled opening of coastal ponds has destroyed mangrove forests here," said Syahrani, head of Sungai Parit village, Sepaku subdistrict, Penajem Paser Utara.

So far there has been no effort to rehabilitate the damaged mangrove forests because of a lack of funds, he said. -- Antara