KUALA SELANGOR: Chery Corporate Malaysia Sdn Bhd, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) recently launched a mangrove restoration project along the North-central Selangor Coast (NCSC).
The 18-month collaborative “Cherish the Nature” mangrove restoration project was launched recently at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP).
This project is supported by Chery, administered by IUCN, and co-implemented by IUCN and MNS.
This collaborative project will conserve and restore the degraded mangrove ecosystems of NCSC, and IUCN’s science-backed tools will be used to identify priority mangrove restoration sites,
which will be rehabilitated with mangrove saplings nurtured in nurseries established by local communities.
At least six hectares of degraded mangrove areas will be then restored by trained members of the local community, blending science with traditional ecological knowledge.
Following which, monitoring and evaluation post-planting will track ecological gains and ensure the planting mangrove saplings are growing optimally.
To mark the launch of the project, MNS, Chery and IUCN welcomed 200 guests and representatives from the government agencies, academic institutions, local communities, and private corporations to the KSNP to learn more about its unique biodiversity.
The public together with members from Chery’s vehicle owner group WCWL and Omoda and Jaecoo's J-Club also took part in the citizen science and mangrove planting activities designed to raise awareness of the importance of community-led conservation efforts.
Cherish the Nature calls for improved conservation awareness of Malaysia's unique natural living landscapes, made up of coastal mudflats, marine-mangrove and wetlands habitats situated along the NCSC.
In these 130km-long coastal landscapes, ecosystem services have immensely supported the diverse communities with its rich marine resources, enabling communities to thrive.
This has made Kuala Selangor a prime tourism destination and haven for unique biodiversity attractions such as fireflies, shorebirds, and primates.
However, anthropogenic pressures such as land-use changes and land clearing have contributed to the loss of mangrove forests along the NCSC.
As mangrove forests disappear, various species of fish, crabs, and shellfish will follow suit, threatening the livelihoods of the traditional fishing villages found along the NCSC.
Urgent action is needed to protect the ecosystem that thousands depend on for their lives and livelihoods.
