23 August 2022
Harita Nickel in collaboration with the Khairun University (Unkhair) Ternate’s Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPIK), North Maluku, supports the conservation and rehabilitation of mangrove forests in several locations in South Halmahera Regency (Halsel). This collaboration is realized through the socialization and rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Awanggo Village, Bacan District, South Halmahera Regency.
The Socialization and mangrove planting activities take the theme 'Preserving Nature for the Sustainability of Civilization'. This activity coincides with the commemoration of National Nature Conservation Day which falls on August 10, 2022, where Harita Nickel and Unkhair target to plant 39 thousand mangrove seedlings this year. The activity was attended by the President Director of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada, Donald J. Hermanus, the Regent and Deputy Regent of South Halmahera, Usman Sidik and Hasan Ali Bassam Kasuba, the Dean of FPIK Unkhair, Dr. M. Janib Achmad, S.PI., M.Sc, as well as a number of officials for the South Halmahera Forkopimda.
The restoration of mangrove forests in the coastal areas of villages in South Sulawesi is one of the routine programs carried out by Harita Nickel in collaboration with Unkhair Ternate. This activity actively involves village heads and residents living around the coastal area to build a good mangrove ecosystem.
Harita Nickel and Unkhair also formed a Mangrove Care Group in each village which will play a role in the process of maintaining, monitoring, and managing mangrove forests in the future. Mangrove seedlings are planted around the coast of Belang-Belang Village and Awanggo Village which are considered vulnerable to soil erosion. The activity involved dozens of villagers who helped make this mangrove forest rehabilitation event a success.
"The President Director of PT Trimegah Bangun Persada, Donald J. Hermanus told TIMES Indonesia, Thursday (11/8/2022), stating that Harita Nickel views the rehabilitation of mangrove forests as very important, considering that mangroves can absorb CO2 and contribute greatly to increasing the biodiversity of marine life," he said. This concern and high commitment to the environment also moved Harita Nickel to cooperate with FPIK Unkhair Ternate.
“Since last year with Unkhair, we have planted more than 8 thousand mangrove seedlings in an area of 6.5 hectares, in Soligi Village, Obi District, South Halmahera. This year we are again showing our commitment to protecting coastal ecosystems by rehabilitating mangrove forests in several locations”, said Donald. Donald explained that this year’s mangrove forest rehabilitation activities were carried out in four villages, namely Guruapin Village in Kayoa District, Belang-Belang Village and Awanggo Village in Bacan District, and Soligi Village on Obi Island. The total number of mangrove seedlings planted this year is more than 39 thousand seedlings.
So that in the past two years, Harita Nickel and Unkhair have targeted to rehabilitate mangrove forests in South Halmahera by planting more than 47 thousand seedlings in an area of 20 hectares. Donald expressed his highest appreciation to Unkhair, the youth members of the Mangrove Care Group, and their coaches who have diligently cared for and maintained the sustainability of the rehabilitated mangrove forest for the past year and will continue for the following years. According to him, community involvement and capacity building related to mangroves like this are the main keys to this success, so that not only mangrove seedlings grow well, but the public’s caring, awareness, and knowledge about the important role of mangrove forests in life. Separately, the Regent of South Halmahera, Usman Sidik, expressed his appreciation for the role of Harita Nickel and FPIK Khairun University (Unkhair) who actively carried out socialization in increasing awareness of the surrounding community on the importance of the role of mangroves for the coastal environment. "We should be grateful and give great appreciation to Harita for helping the government nationally, not only regional governments, in terms of socializing this mangrove rehabilitation, because mangroves are very important for our lives going forward," said Usman.
He also appreciated Harita's initiative to rehabilitate mangroves not only in its operational area on Obi Island but also in several locations in South Halmahera. "It's really amazing, Harita even formed a mangrove care group and financed the planting and monitoring of the growth and development of the mangrove, and the impact on the community was extraordinary.”
Usman also hopes that Harita Nickel and Unkhair students can continue to synergize with the local government to help increase capacity and build community capabilities in empowering mangrove forests. In the same place, the Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Unkhair, M. Janib Achmad stated that community-based rehabilitation of mangrove forests and empowerment of coastal communities is one solution to maintain the sustainability of mangrove ecosystems in coastal areas. According to Janib, mangroves have many benefits for the environment around the coast. "One mangrove leaf can attract 5 to 7 times blue carbon compared to ordinary leaves and on the other hand, mangroves are also a place of shelter and breeding for marine biota around the coast," he explained.
He continued, mangrove forests rehabilitation activities such as those carried out by Unkhair Ternate and Harita Nickel are expected to provide a source of livelihood for the community through the wealth of marine life that is increasingly maintained.
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