YAGASU PLANTED 25.000 MANGROVE TREES WITH COMMUNITY IN ACEH JAYA

This planting activity was attended by  Yagasu’s Program Director and staff members, as well as the Government including Assistant II of Aceh Jaya Regional Secretariat, DLHK (Department of Environment and Fisheries) of Aceh Province, UPTD KPH (Forest Management Unit) Region I Aceh, BKSDA (Center for Conservation of Natural Resources) Aceh, DKP (Department of Marine and Fisheries) Aceh Jaya, Representatives of Kodim (Military Recruiting Office) 0114/Aceh Jaya, The Setia Bakti Subdistrict Head, PMI Aceh Jaya, Kapolsek (The Police Chief) of Setia Bakti Sub-district, and local village heads.

(Aceh Traditional Dance Performance during Ceremony of the Mangrove Planting Program)

The mangrove planting, as explained by the Program Director of Yagasu, Meilinda Suriani Harefa, aims to increase the environmental capacity of mangrove ecosystem for climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation and coastal communities empowerment.

(The Opening Remarks of Yagasu’s Program Director, Meilinda Suriani Harefa)

“Currently, Yagasu team and the community have planted 25.000 mangrove trees Rhizophora Mucronata and Rhizophora Stylosa species in an area of ​​10 hectares,” explained Meilinda when interviewed by reporters after the ceremonial event.

Meilinda also explained that since 2001, Yagasu has been consistently working on conservation in the east coast of Aceh.

“Yagasu is open for collaboration with the local government to preserve the environment through mangrove planting,” she added.

She explained that in Aceh Jaya, mangrove planting had begun in August 2001 with an area of ​​420 hectares prepared.

Then, seeing the enthusiasm of the community to participate in training on restoration activities, Yagasu added more areas of land for planting mangrove trees.

Meanwhile, Assistant II of the Aceh Jaya Regional Secretariat, Rahmat Oriza, appreciated the Aceh Jaya District Government for the implementation of the mangrove planting program in Aceh Jaya, which was conducted by Yagasu.

“Hopefully this program can raise people’s awareness for protecting the environment and and mangrove forests, as well as being one of the government’s strategies in improving and recovering the economy of the local community who live in coastal areas,” he said.

He also hopes that this kind of activities can be carried out continuously in the context of developing and preserving mangrove areas in the West coast of Aceh province.

According to Rahmad, mangroves have enormous benefits, because apart from preventing abrasion, mangrove forests are also a shelter for ecosystem habitats such as fish and crabs.

He also explained that mangrove forests can create new job opportunities for the surrounding community, so that the wheels of the economy can continue to spin and the welfare of the community can be improved.

“Don’t let mangrove forest be destroyed, cut down or converted into a pond or plantation area,” he concluded.

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About Yagasu

Yagasu (Yayasan Gajah Sumatra) is a Non-Governmental Organization with over 21 years of practical experiences on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation, capacity building, environmental education and local economic reconstruction through the facilitation of generating income for local communities on green livelihoods. Established on July 17, 2001, the organization initial concernwas Sumatra’s elephant conservation. In 2006, Yagasu changed its management structure and officially registered with Yagasu Aceh as its legal name. In recent years, yagasu has been focused on restoring mangrove restoration, environment and climate change, and local community empowerment in Aceh, North Sumatra, East Java, and Wet Java Provinces.

For Further Information:

Yagasu Head Office

Jalan Sei Batu Gingging No. 69

Kel. PB Selayang I, Kec. Medan Selayang, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia

20131 (Postal Code)

Telephone 62-61-4503773

www.yagasu.or.id

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