KUCHING: The development of the new airport area in Tanjung Embang involves only a small portion of forest reserve land and primarily covers swamp areas, including mangrove and nipah palm forests.
Sarawak Forest Department (JHS) Director, Datuk Hamden Mohammad, explained that the proposed site is a coastal zone that does not contain large trees typically found in inland forests.
“Tanjung Embang doesn’t really involve forest reserves.
“It’s more of a swamp area and nipah area because it’s coastal, so it doesn’t involve areas with large trees,” he told the press during the department’s Aidilfitri Open House at Wisma SABATI here today.
Addressing concerns about the preservation of mangrove ecosystems, Hamden acknowledged their vital role in preventing coastal erosion and maintaining ecological balance.
“Yes, mangrove forests are one of the important types of forests. However, in terms of percentage, it’s not large.
” “In Kuching, mangrove forest areas are only found in Lundu, Sematan, Salak and a small part in Limbang.”
He added that the largest mangrove forest area in Sarawak is located around the Rajang basin, known as the Rajang Mangrove.
“According to our previous data, only about 127,000 hectares of mangrove forest have been recorded statewide compared to Sarawak’s total land area of 12.5 million hectares. So, it’s relatively small,” he elaborated.
Hamden noted that mangrove replanting efforts have been carried out since the 2004 tsunami as part of coastal conservation and ecosystem restoration initiatives.
