Mangrove forest is one of the components of coastal ecosystems that have essential functions, including as a barrier to coastal abrasion, retaining seawater intrusion, reducing CO2 levels in the air, being a habitat cipf-es.org for various kinds of biota, a source of food for species that are around, as a source of livelihood and livelihood. as a means of education and recreation for the community. The loss of the function of the mangrove ecosystem will have a direct impact on the coastal ecosystem. However, ironically the mangrove ecosystem, which has an essential role on the coast, is in critical condition in some areas. The facts show that the area of mangrove ecosystems in Indonesia is decreasing. This happens because of the encroachment of mangroves by the surrounding community for the need for expansion of pond land and logging of mangroves for building materials and firewood.
Damage to mangrove forests is caused by mangrove logging and the conversion of mangrove land into aquaculture areas. This is due to the demands of the local community’s economic needs. Based on data from FAO (2007), the area of mangrove forests in Indonesia from 1980 to 2005 continued to decline, from 4,200,000 Ha to 2,900,000 Ha. Between 2000 and 2005, the area of mangrove forests in Indonesia decreased by 50,000 hectares or about 1.6%.
In order to restore mangrove forests, many efforts have been made to rehabilitate mangroves by replanting mangroves in designated areas. However, these rehabilitation efforts have not always succeeded in achieving this because several factors influence it. Several physical and social aspects influence the success/failure of the mangrove rehabilitation program. Physical environmental factors affect the growth of mangroves, and the pattern of mangrove planting is also very influential. According to Priyono (2010), it is stated that in planting mangroves, the type of mangrove to be planted must be by the substrate conditions. For the type of mud substrate, the suitable type of mangrove is Rhizophora spp. For sandy soil substrate, the types of mangroves suitable for planting are Avicennia spp and Soneratia sp.
Moreover, other mangroves, such as Aegiceras spp, Lumnitzera spp, Excoecarla spp, Cerriops spp, Bruguiera spp, Pandanus spp and other species can live varied on sandy mud substrates. A good technique for planting mangroves is to use stakes. The purpose of the stake is to keep the mangrove seedlings from falling when hit by the waves. The ideal planting distance is 1m x 1m. Mangrove planting is arranged so that the type of mangrove to be planted does not mix with other types. This is to avoid changing the natural nature of the mangrove to form a pure stand.
In the mangrove rehabilitation program, social factors are the most vulnerable to the ongoing planting program. According to Adry (2006), the social factors that influence the mangrove rehabilitation program in the case study of the mangrove rehabilitation program in Kariangau and Margo Mulyo Villages, Balikpapan are human resources, community participation, coordination and communication, allocation of funds and related regulations. These factors are generally common in other areas as well.
A rehabilitation program is said to have failed or failed because the program’s achievements were not achieved. The failure of the mangrove rehabilitation program is also influenced by the low economic factor of the community. The low economic status of the community can trigger the expansion of the pond area in the mangrove area, resulting in the logging of mangrove forests into pond areas. This is one of the causes of the failure of the mangrove rehabilitation program. The level of success of the mangrove rehabilitation program can be seen from various indicators of success, namely the achievement of the area of land cover that has been rehabilitated, the sustainability of the rehabilitation program and the impact caused by the rehabilitation program (Novianty, 2013). Community involvement in a rehabilitation program is a significant factor in achieving a program goal. The community must be involved in a mangrove rehabilitation program from the planning and implementation to the monitoring stages. Community participation is significant to maintain the continuity of mangrove rehabilitation activities.
Writer:
Sheila Zalessa, M.IL
Teaching Staff of the Department of Marine Affairs, Padjadjaran University
To cite this article as follows:
Zalessa, S. 2019. Challenges of the Mangrove Rehabilitation Program. www.marine.fpik.unpad.ac.id