KOTA KINABALU: A total of 5.8 million mangrove trees and other suitable species had been planted on 2,150 hectares nationwide, since the tree-planting programme along coastal areas began in 2005 until September this year.
Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department director-general Datuk Razani Ujang said the tree-planting programme had been implemented successfully in collaboration with the respective State Forestry Departments including in Sabah and Sarawak.
The federal government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, had provided a special fund of almost RM40 million to implement the programme under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), he said at the launching of the National Seminar on the Conservation of Coastal Forests 2010, here yesterday.
Cooperation between the federal government agencies, state governments, local governments, research institutions, the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the local community must be maintained to ensure the continuity of the programme under the 10MP, he said.
Razani disclosed that the seminar was the last series in the tree-planting programme along coastal areas planned for the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).
“Among the main objectives we hope to achieve through the seminar are to provide a platform through which issues, problems, challenges and vision pertaining to the conservation and preservation of the country’s coastal forests,” he said.
According to him, during the seminar, research and development inputs will be gathered and evaluate to ensure more effective planting program in the future.
“We also want to improved public awareness initiatives on the reason and importance of the planting programs as well as strengthen cooperation between government agencies and department with local institutions, NGOs and the local community in the conservation and preservation of the country’s coastal forests,” Razani said.