Guest guest Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 ***************************Advertisement*************************** eCentral - Your Entertainment Guide http://www.star-ecentral.com ***************************************************************** This message was forwarded to you by yitzeling. Comment from sender: This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my) URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/1/13/nation/9884275 & sec=nation ________________________ Thursday January 13, 2005 Inventory on mangroves PETALING JAYA: A three-month study has been ordered by the Government to draw up an inventory of the country & #146;s mangrove forests distribution. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Adenan Satem said the inventory had to be done immediately to get a clearer picture of the status of mangrove areas including areas that had been degraded. & #147;The inventory exercise is expected to take three months to complete and it will involve state governments, landowners, local communities and NGOs, & #148; he said in a statement on Tuesday. Once this was done, a comprehensive plan would be drawn up to rehabilitate these areas in phases, he said, adding that it would include coastal areas. & #147;Efforts will be taken to plant suitable trees along our coastline, not only to prevent tidal waves but also erosion. These habitats are also a haven for marine life. & #147;Our mangrove areas will be planned and managed like the one we have in Matang, Perak, & #148; Adenan said. He said the country had 564,971ha of mangrove forests, with 97,882ha in Peninsular Malaysia, 340,689ha in Sabah and 126,400ha in Sarawak. Adenan said the co-operation of the state governments was needed to gazette 128,257ha of their land into forest reserves. Conservationists had recently made a call to protect the country & #146;s mangrove forests and other coastal vegetation, which can soften the impact of tsunamis. Mangrove trees (Rhizophora apiculata or Rhizophora ronata), known locally as bakau, act as a & #147;vegetative belt & #148; that protects coastal areas. WWF-Malaysia meanwhile supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi & #146;s call to protect the country & #146;s mangroves. Its executive director Datuk Dr Mikaail Kavanagh Abdullah said the Government should assess all mangroves in the country and identify areas that should be protected and managed for their natural resources. In Ipoh, the Perak Forestry Department is in the process of identifying coastal areas that need mangrove forests to reduce the impact of tsunamis. Its director Datuk Azahar Muda said department officers have been told to scout coastal areas following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi & #146;s call to preserve mangrove forests in an effort to reduce the impact of strong waves. & #147;State land that is empty can be converted to forest reserve land and planted with mangrove, if needed, & #148; he told reporters after opening the Papan Herbal Garden in the Kledang Saiong Forest Reserve, about 20km from here yesterday. He said the necessary funds would be acquired under the Ninth Malaysia Plan for the planting of mangrove trees at the required coastal areas. <p> ________________________ Your one-stop information portal: The Star Online http://thestar.com.my http://biz.thestar.com.my http://classifieds.thestar.com.my http://cards.thestar.com.my http://search.thestar.com.my http://star-motoring.com http://star-space.com http://star-jobs.com http://star-ecentral.com http://star-techcentral.com 1995-2004 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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