BY UMAIRAH RAZAK
MANGROVES are vital ecosystems that exist along tropical and subtropical coasts. For decades there have been rising concerns among environmentalists about the disregard for mangrove ecosystems globally.
“Mangrove ecosystem worldwide is a natural and effective climate change ‘mitigation plan and strategy’. For this reason, mangroves must be treated as a national asset,” said Dr Ahmad Aldrie Amir, a commission member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission-Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC) – Mangrove Specialist Group (MSG)
Ahmad Aldrie is a mangrove specialist, a lecturer and a research fellow with the Institute of Environment and Development (LESTARI) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
He pointed out that mangroves provide coastal protection by securing coastlines and serve as a shield for villages built around coastal areas, especially from natural disasters like storms, typhoons, hurricanes, and tsunamis.
Ahmad Aldrie also highlighted the positive and negative impacts of natural disturbances like lightning strikes on mangrove.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”block” ihc_mb_who=”unreg” ihc_mb_template=”3″ ]
He said: “Gap creation, also known as canopy gaps, is the formation of circular gaps in the mangrove forests caused by the death of a group of mangrove trees due to lightning strikes or other types of natural disturbances.”
“But interestingly, despite causing destruction of mangrove trees, lightning strikes allow the opportunity for budding seedlings to grow and replace the old trees.”
“This continuous event alters the forest’s ecological processes, which overall assists in the regeneration of mangrove forests and ecosystem turnover,” he added.
However, he said, due to changes in atmospheric activities brought by climate change, more lightning strikes can occur, and this causes more gap creations, possibly leading to difficulties in the recovery of the forests.
He said: “Mangroves might not be able to cope with rapid changes in the environment, such as extreme erosion coupled with the rising sea levels.”
“This is evident in several mangrove sites along the country’s coastlines. We are seeing a rapid erosion rate at many locations due to increased wave action caused by both anthropogenic and natural disturbances.
“If this persists throughout the tropics, mangroves will be unable to cope with the changes caused by such impact,” he added.
According to him, extensive deforestation of mangroves is not recommended as the process of cutting trees and changing their land-use could release stored carbon in the soil.
“If mangrove forest is not protected or not manage sustainably, it might release more carbon into the atmosphere.”
On the same note, he emphasised the need to consider other alternatives like looking into managing the mangrove ecosystems holistically: such as the role of animals, dynamics of tides, weather pattern and assessment of hydrology as all these can combine to synergise mangrove restoration and management effectively.
Ahmad Aldrie also highlighted the need for newer strategies to protect and restore mangrove forests. On this note, he called for the importance of new policies and laws that can help incentivise the preservation of mangrove ecosystems and encourage protection, conservation, and sustainable coastal management.
“We need to have solid strategies to mitigate and adapt against mangrove and coastal erosions. One of the strategies being currently discussed is to minimise destructive physical development along coastal areas where mangroves exist and to prepare a comprehensive plan of relocating coastal communities as a retreating strategy.”
Ahmad Aldrie is also the coordinator of the Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network (MyMangrove) – a network that focuses on research, conservation, and management of mangroves and which aims to serve as a central platform for mangrove researchers, authorities, and communities to share ideas and solutions.
As the MyMangrove coordinator, he stressed the need for continued and comprehensive research regarding the fundamental aspects of mangroves, such as basic ecology including taxonomy and behaviour of mangrove plants, animals, microorganisms, mangrove soil and other physical characteristics and processes, mangrove ecosystem services and values as well as, socioeconomic impacts on the habitats and ecosystems.
He said: “It is important for us to better understand the fundamentals and the dynamics of mangrove forests in order to unlock their potentials particularly in mitigating and adapting to local, national, regional and global changes.”
“Changing perceptions through research and dissemination of knowledge on the many aspects of mangrove can lead to a more sustainable decision-making and better outcomes in the protection and management of the ecosystem. We need to work harder (and smarter) by involving all parties and stakeholders to protect this national asset,” he added.[/ihc-hide-content]
