BENEFICIARIES Local government agencies Project will support the government agencies as well as enhance the integrity and management of project targeted sites and enhance engagement of local communities living adjacent to Kuala Gula and Sitiawan Mangroves. Local communities The project will work directly with the targeted local communities in Kuala Gula and Sitiawan to established mechanisms and incentives for their involvement in the conservation and sustainable use of the resource including forest rehabilitation, utilisation of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism. They will directly benet through enhanced sustainable alternative livelihood opportunities, enhancement of ecosystem goods and services, and increased aquatic products. COMMUNITY-BASED MANGROVE CONSERVATION Schools communities AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME Opportunity to raise awareness, increase knowledge, and experience amongst local schools’ IN KUALA GULA-KERIAN & SITIAWAN-MANJUNG, PERAK students on the mangrove conservation and rehabilitation. INTRODUCTION BENEFITS GEC in partnership with Yayasan Sime Darby continues with a three-year agreement on mangrove conservation project entitled Community-based Mangrove Conservation and Sustainable Livelihood Programme in Kuala Establishment of 2 community-based organisations actively supporting the conservation and sustainable use of Gula-Kerian and Sitiawan-Manjung, Perak. Commenced in February 2020, the project aims to strengthen sustainable mangrove and coastal resource in Perak. management of mangrove and coastal resource as well as enhance community engagement and social enterprise in Kuala Gula and Sitiawan, Perak. AT HUTA AB N SHBKG is a community group in Kuala AH G LAU BA Pasir Panjang Laut community is S AN T K N NJ A A A U Gula established in 2006 that is H P consist of 27 active members who are The degradation of mangrove in Sitiawan and Kuala Gula coastlines has a signicant negative impact on community U IR B S U A T P livelihoods, including a reduction in marine creatures and coastal erosion. The lack of awareness regarding the committed to the community-based R interested in mangrove conservation E mangrove conservation and rehabilitation P and rehabilitation activity. Located importance of mangroves seems to be one of the main contributing factors to their degradation in both areas. programme. A member of the National at Manjung Perak, the activity been K A There is also a lack of on-ground integrated activities for adaptive management aimed namely at preventing Mangrove Planting Program Committee R stimulated by the awareness and S PE ER G Received an appreciation certicate I MANJUN concerns of the local communities over-exploitation of mangroves and providing alternative sources of income to local mangrove-dependent people. from the Sultan of Perak on October 21, about the degradation of their There no attempt to ensure that mangroves are managed sustainably and are providing goods and services in a way 2019, for its efforts, contribution and mangrove areas. Its members that does not deplete the mangrove resource. support in carrying out the mangrove consist of pensioners, shermen rehabilitation programme in their and self-employed at village level. The project intends to establish and demonstrate as a model providing an effective and sustainable approach in respective mangroves areas. restoration and conservation mangrove and sustainable livelihood programme which enabling the successful group-led action and empowering local communities towards self-reliance by social entrepreneurship. The project supports the government’s efforts to protect mangrove forests and conserve mangrove resources through rehabilitation and sustainable management practices. The project directly addresses one of the Yayasan Sime Darby’s key priority and meet the objective of the Environment pillar, as it contributes to the landscape conservation efforts in Malaysia, especially with regards to the critical mangrove, – namely the protection and preservation of the high conservation value, vulnerable ecosystem and habitat is protected and restored. The project dedicates itself to a programme of conservation to support the ongoing protection and rehabilitation of degraded mangrove forests with planting of 12,000 trees in Kuala Gula and Sitiawan Mangroves. Rehabilitation of 6 ha of Establishment of demonstration Increase in production Support the degraded mangrove areas with site to showcase the of mangrove-based national level 12,000 trees and encourage conservation, rehabilitation and products, cottage and mangrove naturally regeneration in Kuala sustainable management of sheries products. rehabilitation PROJECT SITE Gula & Sitiawan with mangroves in Perak. programme for Over the past years, 61% of the 250 km coastline in Perak’s coastal areas have experienced erosions communities’ involvement. coastal protection. due to the increase in sea level and more frequent storms linked to climate change that will continue to increase in the future. The coastal zone has special socio-economic signicance. It supports a large percentage of the population (about 60% to 70%) as it is the centre of economic activities encompassing urbanisation, agriculture, sheries, sustainable extraction of timber, power supply generation, transportation (includes shipping), communication and recreation for the Kuala Gula and Sitiawan community. PROJECT SITE : OBJECTIVES Kuala Gula Mangrove forests As one of the most productive ecosystems in Malaysia, they To strengthen sustainable management of mangrove and coastal resources in Kuala Gula and have a well-established ecological, economic and cultural Sitiawan, Perak. importance. Its shing activities support the local communities’ livelihood. Its mudat and the swampy areas are perfect stopovers and feeding place for various species of migratory and resident birds. Kuala Gula is identied as To enhance community engagement and social entrepreneurship in mangrove and coastal one of the 10 eco-tourism areas in Perak State. Kuala Gula resources protection and sustainable use in Kuala Gula and Sitiawan. has been recognized as a Bird Sanctuary and Important Bird Area (IBA). The IBA code is MY05 Matang Coast. However, the constant pressure exerted by anthropogenic events is To strengthen institutional capacity of Sahabat Hutan Bakau Kuala Gula (SHBKG) & Sahabat Hutan responsible for its decline at a faster rate than that of inland Bakau Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut (SHBKPPL) for mangrove and coastal resources management in forests. Along with mangrove cover depletion, the loss of its biodiversity and economic value are the other perturbing Kuala Gula and Sitiawan. issues. In particular, mangroves should be treated carefully without underestimating their role for local livelihoods, and see their long-term benets reach future generations via The project's implementation is to integrate climate change adaptation and risk appropriate conservation and management practices. mitigation at national, state and local levels. In addition, helping rural communities Kuala Gula mangrove is classied under Resources with the necessary skills to take responsibilities for their actions to protect Retention Zone by Perak State Structural Plan 2040 and themselves from increased coastal problem, erosion, flooding, sea level raise and considered as Environmental Sensitive Area (ESA) level 1 others. The project implementation towards the achievement of the following that fall under disaster risk of coastal erosion. However, the indicators: mangrove forests are encountering an increasing level of mangrove degradation due to over-exploitation of i. Protection of coastal areas - Planting mangroves can reduce coastal erosion and mangrove trees and unsustainable level of aquaculture can protect coastal communities against coastal flooding, high winds and waves, activities. There is an increasing level of wastewater pollution. This indirectly holds a high probability to decrease tsunamis and sea level raise. the value of the ecosystem and eco-tourism of the area. ii. Restoration of a mangrove ecosystem - The aim is to support livelihood without destroying the mangrove forest. This means sustainably harvesting mangrove PROJECT SITE : marine products such as crabs, fish, shells and others. Southern Manjung iii. Conservation of existing mangrove forests - This provides breeding grounds for Southern Manjung is located between Lekir and Sitiawan fisheries and preserving biodiversity. This can be achieved through the creation in Manjung, Perak. The degradation of mangrove at of protected sites via Permanent Reserved Forest. South Manjung along the coastal zone has had a signicant negative impact on community livelihoods, iv. Carbon absorption (sink) - Mangroves absorb more carbon than the other reduction in marine products and increase of coastal land-based forests. erosion. The lack of awareness of decision-makers regarding the importance of mangroves seems to be one of the main contributing factors to the degradation of mangroves in that particular area. The distribution of A ACTIVITIES mangrove forests in Manjung District is about 3,036ha. The majority of Manjung Mangroves remain under state Activity 1: To strengthen sustainable management of mangrove and coastal resources in Kuala Gula and land ownership or private ownership and so is vulnerable Sitiawan to be impacted by future development and further • Strengthen co-operation between government agencies, private sectors, local communities and NGOs degradation. Currently, the mangroves