A Malaysian official highlighted today the importance of enhancing Public awareness about mangrove forests among the young right up to the elderly. In a working paper, which was presented at a media workshop organized by the Organization of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) on sustainable forest management, Perwira Bintang Holdings Sdn Bhd's chief executive officer Datuk Tan Kar Meng said this was because mangroves served an important ecological function in mitigating coastal erosion by reducing the energy of waves, tidal currents and storms that would otherwise erode the coastline. "Mangroves also acted as sediment stabilizers, biomass producers, refuge for wildlife and fish, nutrients and toxicant traps besides keeping the seas clean," he said. "Mangrove forests also act as green lungs to improve the air quality and consequently help in reducing global warming. They also help communities living near mangrove areas to derive greater economic benefits from the preservation of mangrove forests through the catching of fish and shrimps and rearing of crabs in floating cages," he added. He said this in his working paper on "Erosion protection, natural reclamation, rehabilitation, regeneration and preservation of mangrove forest." He said "pillow tube" technology might be the answer to promoting the regeneration of mangroves as effective barriers against natural disasters like tsunamis, cyclones and hurricanes. Datuk Tan said 1,414.5kms, or about 30 per cent of Malaysia's entire coastline of 4,809kms, were affected by erosion. --MORE
