Mangrove tree planting programme

The Penang South Islands’ proposed Island A will also be developed with eco-friendly features like mangrove forests that will promote marine life and serve as eco-tourism attractions.

The mangrove tree planting programme in collaboration with Penang Infrastructure Corporation Sdn Bhd (PIC) together with the Penang Coastal Fishermen's Welfare Association (PIFWA) was organised to strengthen cooperation in tree planting programmes as a greening agenda in Penang.

The objectives of this cultivation programme are:

> To strengthen cooperation with the department's strategic partners such as PIFWA and state government linked companies (GLCs) in promoting tree planting activities

>To support the achievement of tree planting targets by the state government through the implementation of Climate Change Adaptation Plans under Penang 2030 and the Malaysian Greening Programme under the 100 million tree planting campaign (2021-2025) by the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry (KeTSA)

>Announce the efforts made in conserving areas of biological importance such as mangrove forests in Penang

PIC, a government-linked company has become a strategic partner of the Penang state Forestry department's GLC in helping to intensify tree planting activities, especially for mangrove forest areas in Penang.

PIFWA has long been a strategic partner of the State Forestry department's NGO in helping to conserve the mangrove forest, especially in the South Seberang Perai district.

A total of 1,000 mangrove trees from the mangrove oil species (Rhizophora apiculata) will be planted in Kuala Haji Harun, Sungai Acheh.

Sustainability of forest treasures in Penang

Penang has at least 6% of the gazetted forest area coverage which is 6,568.77ha.

Of this figure, 5,386.77ha are permanent forest reserves gazetted under the National Forestry Act 1984 and another 1,182ha are Penang National Parks gazetted under the National Parks Act 1980.

The gazetting of this forested area is intended as a protection area in addition to its role as climate and environmental stability.

Penang is one of the states that does not practice the exploitation of its permanent forest reserve.

The last time the state implemented logging was in 1972. Since then, the Penang state permanent forest reserve has been preserved to this day.

Based on the principle of increasing and ensuring carbon uptake in Penang, the state government is actively carrying out its permanent forest reserve gazetting activities.

This can be proven when a part of Jerejak Island with an area of ​​285.84ha was successfully gazetted as a permanent forest reserve on March 26, 2020. This gazetting has increased the area of ​​HSK (permanent forest reserve) in Penang by 5.5% from 5,100.93ha in December 2019 to 5,386.77ha in 2020.

State government policies in environmental care

The intention of the state government to make Penang a developed and green state, does not neglect the aspects of environmental care and stabilisation that contribute to its climate stability.

As per the vision of Penang 2030, the state government is indeed targeting real life prosperity to be enjoyed by the people, apart from Penang being known as a green state in Malaysia.

In order to achieve this noble aspiration, the state government has set specific strategies to drive the state towards the targeted vision at least 10 years from now.

One of them is investment in nature development that is more resilient by implementing climate adaptation plans.

One of the targets towards the implementation of this climate adaptation plan is the planting of 200,000 trees in addition to the planting initiatives that have been and are being implemented by state government departments/agencies such as the state Forestry department, Penang City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) in recent years until 2030.

Efforts to preserve the environment in Penang are also translated through the strategic land use plan in the Penang State Structure Plan 2030 (RSN PP 2030) which is to maintain forested areas and further preserve environmentally sensitive areas by gazetting mangrove forest areas in the state as permanent forest reserve.

This is the commitment of the state government to preserve the balance of development and the importance of state land use as well as environmental protection in the long run.

This marine swamp forest is very important because in addition to its function as a wave erosion fort and nursery for the breeding of marine life, it also has the ability as a higher carbon storage than other lowland forest types.

All these efforts and measures are also translated in the Penang Green Agenda 2030 (Penang Green Agenda 2030) which was launched by the state government in 2021, which lists its framework and targets in achieving a green state by 2030.

Penang Green Agenda 2030 is important in mainstreaming the funding of sustainable development practices in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) in facing future global environmental challenges.

The goals of the Penang Green Agenda 2030 consist of the aspiration to improve the social, environmental and economic well-being of the people.

Gazettement of mangrove forest areas as of biological interest

The state government through the Penang Environment Committee chaired by Phee Boon Poh, chairman of the Penang State Welfare, Community and Environment Committee focused on gazetting government land as a permanent forest reserve, especially for areas of biological importance such as mangrove/mangrove forests.

The committee on Sept 13, 2019 has identified the Paya Laut forest area within the government land and agency owned land involving an area of ​​1,619.22ha (digital area) which is suitable to be gazetted as a permanent forest reserve.

This gazetting process is implemented in stages and carefully so as not to affect the function and the occurrence of current land use overlap. To that end, at the initial stage, the committee has already taken action to gazette an area of ​​428.61ha of mangrove forest.

Currently, the State Forestry department under the committee is continuing the work of preparing survey plans and other related processes to gazette an area of ​​304.12ha of mangrove forest area in South Seberang Perai district.

Tree planting activity programme by the state Forestry department

The state Forestry department has implemented a tree planting programme as the department's annual agenda since 2005.

Based on department records, 346,152 trees have been planted throughout the state from 2005 to November 2021.

This tree planting programme is being implemented with the cooperation of all parties - state government departments, agencies and city councils.

a) Target 200,000 trees by 2030

Penang Vision 2030 targets 200,000 trees to be planted by 2030 to implement climate change adaptation plans has begun in 2019.

Efforts towards the implementation of these planting targets are also shared with other state government departments/agencies including the council - the state city council as the state team in achieving the target.

Since the launch of Penang 2030, the State Forestry department has planted 31,037 trees in 2019 until November 2021.

Of that figure, 8,885 trees involved mangrove trees that have been planted in several locations.

While the remaining 22,152 trees involved terrestrial forest species trees planted around permanent forest reserves and other land owned as a result of the cooperation.

b) Malaysia Greening Programme: 100 million tree planting campaign

At the same time, the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry (KeTSA) has launched a campaign to plant 100 million trees in Malaysia simultaneously throughout the country on Jan 5, 2021, targeting 100 million trees to be planted nationwide by 2025.

Campaign led by KeTSA themed 'Our Tree, Our Life' is aimed at increasing the green cover area in this country.

The implementation of the 100 million trees campaign in Penang was preceded by Penang Chief Minister who planted Merbau trees at the Penang Botanical Garden. This campaign was implemented as a result of the positive impact by the public during the implementation of the 26 million tree planting campaign in 2010.

Since the campaign started in January 2021, the State Forestry department has planted 16,608 trees until November 2021 with a target of 10,000 trees to be planted annually.

With the planting programme through such campaigns, it can indirectly intensify tree planting efforts in Penang and become a catalyst to achieve targets at both the Federal and state levels.

To ensure that cultivation programmes under these two targets can be implemented, the department has arranged cultivation programmes to be carried out not only by the department but will involve all levels of society.

Among them, the department is ready to supply seedlings to be planted to any party - by simply contacting them.

In this regard, the department will continue to implement such awareness programmes so that appreciation on environmental care can be conveyed at every level of society.

In addition, the role of the mass media as an agent of disseminating information is also very important to gain encouragement and support as well as cooperation from all parties.

This content is contributed by SRS Consortium