Press Articles

Title: Working together for the rivers and mangroves
Date: 30-Sep-2012
Category: Mangrove
Source/Author: The Star
Description: In conjunction with World Rivers Day 2012, 20 volunteers organised an Adopt-A-Tree programme, which was a donation drive to collect money for tree seedlings to be planted at a mangrove site in Kuala Gula, Perak.

WORLD Rivers Day, a global event endorsed by the United Nations, is aimed at raising public awareness on the importance of rivers and waterways while improving the stewardship of rivers around the world.

Thousands of activities in more than 60 countries are organised annually in support of its celebration.

In conjunction with World Rivers Day 2012, 20 volunteers organised an Adopt-A-Tree programme, which was a donation drive to collect money for tree seedlings to be planted at a mangrove site in Kuala Gula, Perak.

The programme was the brainchild of AsiaWorks alumni batch LP145 developed in partnership with Global Environment Centre (GEC), a non-profit local NGO established in 1998 to address key environmental issues of global importance.

Using the tagline ‘Now Everyone Can Plant’, the alumni members managed to raise over RM12,000 from corporate donors such as AirAsia Cargo and individual donors.

The donations enabled more than 120 trees to be planted at Kuala Gula.

GEC director Faizal Parish said, “The support of these individuals is important, but the task at hand is massive as the current replanting efforts only cover a small portion of the area.

“We would like to appeal for support in cash or kind to support our conservation works in Kuala Gula.”

Kuala Gula is a coastal mangrove area located in Kerian District, which is about a 45-minute drive from Taiping.

It has high abundance of habitat biodiversity which includes the Gula River and its tributaries, mangrove islands and coastal mangrove forests.

It is an important area for fishing activities as it supports the livelihood of the local communities. The mudflats and swampy areas of the mangroves are also important resting and feeding grounds for various migratory and resident bird species.

Unsustainable logging over the last 50 years has left villagers of Kuala Gula without a buffer against high tides and erosion.

The complex mangrove riverine system provides fish, shrimp, cockles and crabs. However, uncontrolled commercial activities, including converting parts of the forest into plantations, resulted in depleting marine life and dangerous direct exposure to tidal waves.

To find out more, visit the Global Environment Centre website atwww.gec.org.my

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