Status and Sustainability of Mangrove Forests: A Case Study from Merbok Mangrove Reserve, Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract

Mangroves comprise of a complex combination of halophytic trees, shrubs and other plants that exist and grow in the coastal zone throughout tropical and subtropical regions. Mangrove ecosystems provide significant socioeconomic benefits to the local communities such as fish, timber and tourism opportunities. Understanding how they perceive on mangrove ecosystems and services is crucial for incorporating this information into decision making process and conservation, this study was conducted to study the awareness and knowledge of local community towards the trend and status of mangrove resources in Merbok Mangrove Reserve (MMR) and, to identify factors that influence the survival of mangroves in the study area. A survey was conducted in MMR using questionnaires as a main tool for data collection. A total of 300 respondents live near and around MMR were selected which involved a total of 10 villages. From the study, 95% of the respondents perceived that mangroves are very important resources to the local community. About 95.7% of respondents agree that the loss of mangroves will have negative impacts to the environment and the economics of the livelihood. Furthermore, the majority of respondents perceived that illegal clearing and aquaculture practices have significant impact to the degradation of mangroves in the area. They agree that replanting of mangroves could be the best management option to ensure the survival of this ecosystem. The information from this study may provide useful input for future research and can be crucial tools for the government and stakeholders to pave way for an effective decision making for the sustainability of mangrove resources.