Nivell Rayda, Jakarta Globe 15 Jan 09;
Recent flooding in Jakarta is posing a threat to one of only two remaining mangrove forests in the city, a wildlife official said on Thursday.
The Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve in North Jakarta, only 25 hectares in size, has been partially swamped by an overflowing Ciliwung River, turning its usually brackish wetlands a shade fresher than is ideal for the estuary species.
“That’s why you see all the trash and plastic bags lying around,” said reserve employee Wawan, pointing at plastic bags tangled in mangrove limbs.
Normally the wetland and the river are two separate, adjacent bodies of water, but they merged after two days of heavy rain this week.
Overflow from the city’s largest river has also brought harmful solid and liquid waste to gather around mangrove roots, said Hendra Michael Aquan of environmental group Fauna and Flora International, making it “hard for the mangroves to breathe.”
Apart from the flooding, the river’s polluted waters regularly frustrate efforts to expand the forest’s area. “All the mangroves we try to plant die within the first few weeks because of the pollution,” Hendra said.
Established in 1998, the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve houses the largest collection of mangroves in Jakarta. It is also home to several species of birds and the long-tail monkey not found in natural habitats elsewhere.
Mangroves act as a natural barrier against surging waves, offering a buffer zone to rising sea levels and protecting surrounding areas from floods by absorbing and retaining river water. According to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, the city’s mangrove forests have fallen in total area from 1,400 hectares to just 45 hectares in the last 20 years, a loss that means 6.6 million cubic meters of water in Jakarta rivers are left unabsorbed.
Despite its importance, the smallest reserve in Indonesia is relatively unknown. With a humble gateway barely marking its entrance, few area residents ever visit.
“That’s OK,” said Erik, a reserve employee. “We don’t necessarily want visitors to flock here. It’s a sanctuary, not a zoo.”
