LABUAN (Oct 3): Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim on Sunday planted a Bakau Minyak (Rhizophora apiculata) tree at Nagalang Beach here to kick off the Federal Territories’ One Million Tree-Planting Campaign 2021-2025.

He said under the programme which carries the theme ‘Greening Malaysia: Our Trees, Our Life’ and is based on the concept of urban forest and flowering city, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) aims to plant 500,000 trees, Putrajaya Corporation 400,000 trees and Labuan Corporation 100,000 trees.

Shahidan said the Malaysia Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC) under the Environment and Water Ministry had approved an allocation of RM250,000 under the Low Carbon Cities Catalyst Grant (GeRAK) to increase mangrove forest areas in Labuan.

He said in the early stages of its implementation in Labuan, the initiatve will focus on the planting of 9,250 mangrove trees in six locations — Kg Tanjung Aru Nelayan beach; Kg Tanjung Aru/Kerupang beach; Kinabenuwa Mangrove Eco-Tourism Centre; Kg Gersik river; river estuaries at Kg Ganggarak and Kg Tg Aru and Labuan Botanical Garden.

“Today a total of 100 mangrove trees will be planted at the Nagalang/Kerupang beach and will be recorded in the Malaysian Greening application…among the species are Bakau Kurap, Bakau Minyak, Bakau Putih and Api-Api Hitam,” he said when launching the campaign at Nagalang beach on Sunday.

Shahidan said the purpose of planting mangrove trees along the riverbanks, estuaries and along the coastline was to reduce the risk of coastal erosion.

“A total of 5, 000 mangrove trees will be planted along the beaches of Kg Tanjung Aru/ Nagalang/Kerupang this year,” he said.

Shahidan said mangrove forests also provide habitat and food to marine life such as fish, shrimp and crabs in rivers and near the coastline and this can indirectly help fishermen on the island increase their catch.

Source : The Edge Markets