Medan

Medan.
Mangrove forest is part of a coastal ecosystem which has an important ecological function for human life and particularly for those who live near coastal areas. The importance of mangrove forest conservation, however, does not always materialize into real action. In many locations, for instance, mangrove forest areas are drastically reduced due to illegal logging and in others, thousands of hectares of mangrove forest have been transformed into fishponds.
Despite this alarming condition, Jaring Halus village in Secanggang sub-district, Langkat district, North Sumatra, provides a good example. This village has 33 hectares of mangrove forest which is managed by local inhabitants. This forest is part of Langkat Timur Laut Wildlife Reserve. Many species of mangrove which grow in this forest e.g., Avicennia spp, Sonneratia spp, Bruguiera spp, Rhizophora spp, Nypa fructicans, Xylocarpus granatum, and Excoecaria agallocha are different than those of surrounding areas such as Selat Malaka and Muara Sei Wampu. This village forest is carefully managed due to high levels of community awareness of the importance of ecological and economic functions of mangrove forests. Various types of fishes, crabs, prawns and so on live there and these provide a valuable addition to a fisherman’s income. Mangrove forest also functions as a barrier against storms, abrasion, high-tides, and tsunamis.
These were the reasons that underpinned a proposal for the collaborative management of community-based mangrove forest. The Head of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in North Sumatra province, Ir. Djati Witjaksono Hadi, welcomed the idea. This 500 hectare mangrove forest is currently managed by a hydrologic system which covers Paluh Jaring Halus Kecil (107.09 ha), Paluh Ular (50.34 ha), Paluh Selingkar (171.26 ha) and Paluh Bidai/Batu (171.31 ha) areas. This program involves participation of the Regional Board of Environmental Affairs Control in North Sumatra, the Local Forestry Office and the Local Fishery and Maritime Office in Langkat district, the River Basin Management Agency (BP DAS), BKSDA, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), local inhabitants in Jaring Halus village and North Sumatra ESP. As a technical team, ESP collaborated with local inhabitants, BKSDA I and NGOs to initiate this program on 22 – 25 May 2006, by measuring and mapping the area to be managed collaboratively.(esp.or.id)