Why we need to conserve mangrove forests

MANGROVE forests are very important to be preserved because they play a very huge role in balancing the ecosystem and the global climate.

To ensure the world community is always concerned and aware of the important role of mangrove ecosystems, the World Mangrove Forest Ecosystem Conservation Day is celebrated on July 26 every year as one of the initiatives to raise awareness among the community about the importance of preserving the ecosystem.

Mangrove ecosystem is a unique ecosystem that is situated between sea and land, as well as rich in biodiversity. This ecosystem is important to marine life for example for fish to spawn and a place for young fishes to take refuge before entering the sea.

If the mangrove forest area becomes extinct or polluted, the entire fish population and fishing industry in the area will be threatened because there is no place for young fishes to take shelter and grow. Mangrove forest is also used by hundreds of migratory birds as a shelter to lay eggs and rest. In addition, it is an important habitat for various types of crabs and shrimp.

In addition, the existence of mangrove forest in an area is very important as a carbon reservoir to preserve the environment and balance the climate to address the problem of global warming. Not only that, but it is able to restore the level of air pollution in the surrounding area depending on the size of the mangrove forest itself.

The larger the area of the mangrove forest, the greater its ability to retain carbon that pollutes the environment. This clearly shows how important mangrove forests are not only to the environment and ecosystems, but also to universal human life.

Efforts to protect and conserve mangrove forests need to be done proactively as the country’s mangrove population is currently deteriorating and declining. If this situation is allowed to continue, it will have a negative impact not only on the marine ecosystem as a whole, but also to humans who are heavily dependent on marine resources.

In fact, most worryingly if the mangrove forest ecosystem is not conserved, it is not impossible that this ecosystem will become extinct. If this ecosystem becomes extinct, it will invite the risk of devastating natural disasters as a result of climate change and global warming. The effect of global warming can result in a sudden increase in ocean temperatures which in turn can invite hurricanes, strong winds, heavy rains and severe floods. The absence of mangrove areas as coastal buffer will exacerbate the risk of natural disasters.

If the remnants of the mangrove ecosystem that we have today are not well cared for and managed, it is not impossible that we may suffer the same fate as Myanmar who had to deal with Nargis Typhoon due to their failure in managing their mangrove forest treasures that caused the extinction of the ecosystem.

One of the causes of the large death toll in the Nargis typhoon tragedy that hit Myanmar was due to the absence of a mangrove forest ecosystem that was supposed to be a buffer during the tragedy. This is due to the fact that most of the mangrove forests in the Irrawady Delta have become extinct over the past few decades as a result of over-exploitation for the purpose of shrimp pond and agricultural projects. In fact, the same thing also happened during the tsunami in 2004, especially in Aceh, Indonesia.

Thus, the community needs to work together to preserve the mangrove forest so that it does not become extinct and disappear by controlling activities that can affect the survival of the ecosystem. Replanting of mangrove trees needs to be intensified so that such incidents do not happen in our country.

Today, there are still no proactive and effective efforts for mangrove tree planting project. Instead, projects involving the destruction of the forest continues to be approved, for example in Tanjung Piai, Johor and Kerian and Bagan Datoh, Perak.

Meanwhile, all states should learn from the tragedy that befell Myanmar and Indonesia, as well as emulate the Sabah government today which no longer allows any form of destruction of mangrove forests for development purposes.

In safeguarding and preserving the continuity of this invaluable natural treasure, we should reflect on the reminder of Allah SWT in Surah Ar-Ruum, verse 41 which means:

“Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by (reason of) what the hands of people have earned so He (i.e., Allah) may let them taste part of (the consequence of) what they have done that perhaps they will return (to righteousness).”