Sustaining mangroves with communities in Sedili Kecil, Johor, Malaysia
The Sedili Kecil ecosystem holds high biodiversity value and is of socio-economic significance. The region contains a large area of the highly threatened freshwater swamp forest ecosystem including excellent examples of mangrove, brackish water and freshwater riverine vegetation. These ecosystems support to a large extent fish stocks of the mangrove and river which in turn support the livelihood of local communities. The mangrove forests also plays an important role in reducing the effects of erosion.
However, sections of the mangrove forest are badly degraded, which has reduced the benefits and services that mangrove forest provides. Hence, the replanting of mangrove forest along sections of Sungai Sedili Kecil and at the estuary would have two major benefits: 1) it will improve riverbank stabilisation, reduce erosion and 2) increase the fish and shellfish populations on which the local communities depend on for their livelihood.
The planting areas concerned the disturbed mangrove forest at the estuary of Sungai Sedili Kecil and at two other sections at the river bank further upstream.