Devastation of mangrove swamps in Selangor, Malaysia

Geetha Krishnan, The Star 9 Jul 09;

ADVOCATING one thing and doing another best describes the situation in Sungai Sepang Kecil where mangrove trees lining the river have been sacrificed by a certain authority for a river-deepening and widening project.

The culprit in question is the Sepang Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

The extent of devastation witnessed has raised eyebrows as to why the work was carried out without weighing the consequences.

According to experts, the damage done is irreversible. They are lamenting the fact that the DID proceeded with the project without an impact study, crucial research and consulting the experts.

Riverine mangroves are a much-touted asset for Sepang but what is now seen at the river joining the Bagan Lalang coast could negate the Selangor government’s efforts to boost the eco-tourism potential here.

Four years ago, the Bagan Lalang-Tanjung Sepat coastline was identified as an environmentally-sensitive area.

Could the Sepang DID have gravely erred in its decision to deepen and widen the river to prevent floods? Because, residents say such incidents still occur.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) environmental education department head I.S.Shanmugaraj told the StarMetro the project was carried out last year without taking into account the serious repercussions.

Mangroves are formed by plants and trees that grow in salty or saline water in an inter-tidal or coastal zone.

They offer breeding grounds for seafood, control floods, protect against erosion and supply forest products like charcoal and construction material.

“When the mangrove was cleared, a thriving habitat for a small colony of fireflies was destroyed. Roosting and breeding places for migratory birds were disturbed,” said Shanmugaraj.

“But it doesn’t end there. The bunds prevent tidal waves from bringing in much needed seawater for nourishing the remaining mangrove trees and eventually the area is transformed into a wasteland.

“Meanwhile, peat soil from the mangrove is washed to the beach along with debris comprising decaying plants and trees, causing the water to turn murky. We have taken some aerial shots and the water which used to be brown is now black,” he added.

The domino effect extends to the small permanent forest reserve nearby, formerly lush with mangrove species like “bakau minyak”, “berembang”, “api api” and “nipah”.

“A deeper river allows water to flow faster, transporting debris and sand downstream and gradually narrowing the river mouth. The river becomes shallow for big fishing boats and fishermen have highlighted the situation to us,” said Shanmugaraj.

Sungai Sepang Besar, located near another forest reserve, has its own problems.

Through its own investigations, the MNS has discovered that the sandbank built near the Jimah coal power plant in Negri Sembilan is slowly encroaching into Selangor.

“Due to this, mangrove trees as old as 30 to 40 years have been uprooted. The Jimah jetty extending to the sea has created a bay so waves thrash against the trees with greater force,” said Shanmugaraj.

Warmer waters resulting from plant operations are already upsetting the eco-system, promoting algae growth and diminishing the fish and other seafood population. Water quality has been affected as well. Another point made by Shanmugaraj was that mangrove trees absorb metals and with a coal plant nearby, the trees played a crucial role. Alas now, the metals will be absorbed by seafood like cockles and eventually, consumed by the public.

He urged the state government to get Jimah operators to produce an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the impact of the power plant in Selangor. Only the EIA for Negri Sembilan was done. Selangor deputy environment chairman Edward Lee said the mangrove swamps in the area had to be protected.

“I will bring up the matter to state tourism, consumer affairs and environment chairman Elizabeth Wong. We will initiate discussions with MNS and the Sepang DID to tackle this problem,” he said at a recent press conference in Sepang.

“We have taken steps to protect the fragile eco-system here and it is costly. If the efforts are not working, the state wants to know why,” he added.

However, Lee declined to comment on whether action will be taken on the DID.