MANGROVE forests are a unique ecosystem which are located between the land and sea.Mangroves can be found in 118 countries in the world, representing one per cent of the tropical forest worldwide, and less than 0.4 per cent of the world forests. Mangrove swamps provide a very important ecosystem to both human life and the diversity of life that inhabits it.Firstly, humans are highly dependent on the products of the mangrove forest, which are its timber resources and fishery resources. Mangroves are the breeding grounds and early growth areas of various species of ocean life living on coral reefs.Next, mangroves contribute to coastal protection from erosion and protect the environment from extreme weather changes. Besides this, the mangrove forest is important in maintaining water quality, trapping sediments and filtering pollutants originating from activities in the surrounding areas. This is compatible with the Quranic verse which means: “He rules (all) affairs from the heavens to the earth; according to His calculations” (Surah Al-Sajdah, 32: 5).

Unfortunately, not many are aware of the importance of the mangrove ecosystem, causing them to be neglected, thus leading to the threat of its extinction. This is evident throughout Malaysia today in which mangroves are becoming increasingly threatened by various unhealthy human activities, such as reclamation of land for aquaculture, agriculture, industry or housing, coastal resort development, ports, roads, airports and oil exploration; widespread logging; and pollution.

It was recently reported that the sole surviving mangrove forest on government land located in the middle of Pekan Baru Batu Maung and adjacent to the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park was being threatened by irresponsible dumping of construction and industrial wastes.Such activity had harmed the river across the mangrove swamp, turning it brackish and mixed with solids, along with the waste material disposed of at the dumpsite catching fire and scorching some of the mangrove tress that surrounded the open ground.Such an incident should not have happened. Instead, the Batu Maung mangrove should have been given better protection, and it needs urgent as well as stringent action by all parties concerned be they local, state and federal governments to ensure that the sole remaining mangrove is fully protected and conserved.

Read more: Mangrove ecosystem's importance not understood

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): About 60% of the 32 million Malaysians fail to throw their garbage into rubbish bins although these have been provided for them, says Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.She said Malaysians have yet to cultivate proper garbage disposal habits and this should be addressed in efforts to make our country clean."In developed countries, people keep their rubbish in their handbags or pockets before throwing them into trash bins.

Read more: 60% of Malaysians do not dispose of garbage properly

Banjir?

Banjir atau juga disebut bah merupakan bencana alam yang berlaku apabila air menenggelami kawasan yang luas. Banjir bukan saja mampu merosakkan harta benda tetapi juga turut melibatkan kehilangan nyawa. Banjir juga mampu melumpuhkan ekonomi sesebuah negara. Sehubungan dengan itu, setiap rakyat Malaysia terutamanya yang tinggal di kawasan berisiko tinggi menghadapi banjir, harus peka dan bersiap sedia menghadapi ancaman tersebut agar tindakan awal dapat diambil bagi meminimumkan kerosakan dan mengurangkan kehilangan nyawa akibat banjir.

Read more: PERSEDIAAN MENGHADAPI BANJIR

Norizan Mohd Mazlan of WW-Malaysia was struck by a documentary she watched recently on the Discovery Channel. In it, pear farmers in China are shown pollinating their trees by hand.“They are pollinating with chicken feathers. Imagine the time and resources required to do that, (something) which we take for granted,” says Norizan, who is WWF-Malaysia’s head of conservation, peninsular Malaysia programme. Photographs have emerged of farmers in Hanyuan county in China’s Sichuan province – famously known as the world’s pear capital – transferring pollen by using the tip of a chicken feather, tied to a long stick, to gently brush the powdery pollen off on to each flower.They have had to resort to this painstaking method because the rampant use of pesticides has decimated the area’s bee and insect populations, which are vital for pollination.

It’s a cautionary tale that Malaysians, particularly farmers and the fruit sector, should take to heart.“In tropical areas, our dependency on pollinators is up to 98% for the production of fruit,” points out Norizan.We have reason to be worried.
In WWF’s Living Planet Report 2018 released in October last year, the Living Planet Index (a measure of the state of the world’s biological diversity) recorded an overall decline of 60% in species population sizes between 1970 and 2014; the Freshwater Living Planet Index shows a staggering 83% reduction in the same time period.

Read more: We’re consuming our planet to death

PELABUHAN KLANG 17 Jan. - Sebanyak 100 kilang kitar semula sisa plastik haram di seluruh negara akan ditutup operasi sepenuhnya pada suku pertama tahun ini.Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi, Sains, Perubahan Iklim dan Alam Sekitar, Yeo Bee Yin berkata, setakat ini pihaknya telah mengenal pasti 97 kilang haram iaitu di Selangor (61), Johor (6), Negeri Sembilan dan Kedah masing-masing 10, Perak (7), Pulau Pinang (2) dan Kelantan (1).“Kita yakin masih ada lagi kilang haram yang wujud dan beroperasi dan kita dalam proses mengesan premis tersebut. Oleh demikian, kita telah menetapkan sistem Petunjuk Prestasi Utama (KPI) kepada Jabatan Alam sekitar untuk memerangi kilang plastik haram.“Sementara itu, daripada 48 premis yang mempunyai lesen, 20 daripadanya telah diambil tindakan berikutan gagal mematuhi Akta Kualiti Alam Sekitar. Untuk rekod, di Selangor kita telah menutup 52 kilang iaitu Sepang (29), Klang (16), Shah Alam (2) dan Gombak (2),” katanya.Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas ditemui dalam operasi penguatkuasaan bersepadu kilang kitar semula plastik di sekitar Kawasan Perindustrian Telok Gong di sini hari ini.Yang turut hadir Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Alam Sekitar, Datuk Dr. Ahmad Kamarulnajuib Che Ibrahim.-UTUSAN ONLINE

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