Environment Ministry Invites Belitung Residents to Conserve Mangroves

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Environment and Forestry Ministry has invited residents of Belitung District, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, to preserve mangroves as it has significant role for climate change mitigation.

"I hope that mangrove trees can be protected so that they will grow and develop well," the Director of Environmental Partnerships at the ministry's Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships, Jo Kumala Dewi, said in Tanjung Pandan, Belitung, on Sunday.

Dewi was in Belitung to participate in a program to plant 10 thousand trees in the Seberang Bersatu Communal Forest, Juru Seberang Village, Belitung.

Mangrove trees are essential in anticipating the impacts of climate change, she noted.

"The impacts of climate change have become very apparent in Indonesia and has occurred in a number of regions such as floods in California, the U.S, and forest fires in Australia," she said.

Therefore, Dewi called on the community to put efforts together in climate change mitigation.

"One of (the efforts) is by preserving mangroves in coastal areas. I believe those present here are those whose souls are one with nature," she commented.

Furthermore, she said that mitigation efforts against the impacts of climate change must continue to be carried out jointly.

"We will inherit this one earth to our children and grandchildren. Let's make a recovery together and we will enjoy the results together," Dewi said.

The existence of a good mangrove ecosystem can also increase the resilience of coastal communities against climate change.

In September 2021, during a working visit to Cilacap District, Central Java, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) explained that mangrove trees are expected to reduce wave energy, protect beaches from abrasion, inhibit water intrusion, and improve the coastal environment.

ANTARA

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