Last updated: June 2024
In order to prevent the damage to mangrove forests that occurred over the last few decades or more, a project was started in the Penang region aiming to raise public awareness regarding the importance of mangroves for their continued conservation and protection through active community participation (community resilience) (1). The project closely relates to the GEF Focal Area on Biodiversity Conservation operational programme (OP) 2 on Coastal, Marine and Fresh Water Ecosystems and is led by the Penang Inshore Fisherman Welfare Association (PIFWA). The project aimed to regenerate mangrove forests by planting up to 11,000 saplings in order to rehabilitate the once degraded mangroves as they are able to ultimately improve the wetland ecosystem and its biodiversity and thus sustain the livelihood of fisher communities (1). Mangrove forests are an important part of the Malaysian coastline. Besides their contributions to the biodiversity of the Malaysian coast, mangroves also help greatly with protecting the coastal strip from erosion and providing a means of living for the communities located close to the forests. Stabilising the shoreline and reducing soil erosion, mangroves are also home to myriad species of plants and animals, they provide timber and non-timber forest products, and they support fisheries (1,2). Due to their importance, their disappearance is greatly noticed. From 2000, within a period of 15 years, 25,500 hectares of mangrove forests disappeared, mostly due to industrial-scale logging, clearance for shrimp farming, tourism or firewood (5).
Forestry nursery at the PIFWA, Mangrove Education Centre
PIFWA
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastlines
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Coastal landscape management or protection, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The association's goals are focused mostly on improving the coastline ecosystem and the livelihood of the people living there. For this particular project, the association continued to work on these with some amendments:
1. To develop environmental awareness among local and fishing communities so that it would eventually translate into remedial actions to problems faced in sustaining their livelihood and protecting the coasts as well as improving income generation for the local traditional fisherfolk. (1)
2. To restore degraded mangrove forests in selected sites in Penang by starting a planting campaign that includes planting 3 types of mangroves: those that bind the soil and help prevent erosion; those that provide breeding grounds for fish; and those that provide food such as tea, jam, and fruit. (1,2)
3. To implement ex-situ conservation of several types of mangrove species as mangrove rehabilitation will increase the sequestering of carbon. (1)
4. To increase fish and mangrove biodiversity. (1)
5. To set up and operate Mangroves Eco-education Centre in Seberang Perai Selatan which will include activities for women and children. (1)
Implementation activities
Prior to the intervention, the implementers held consultations with the local community about the mangrove saplings of a number of species that were to be collected and replanted in an ex-situ conservation area and in degraded mangrove forests around Penang (1). Afterwards, there was a need to identify areas for restoration and plant mangroves in selected sites in Penang. One stakeholder workshop was held where discussions with elders of the local community were carried out to find out what type of mangrove trees thrived previously in that area. Saplings of that species were then collected, and replanting was done with the participation of the local community and other groups that have expressed interest in mangrove planting. As a consequence, 16 types of mangrove saplings have been planted (1). Furthermore, the implementers visited fisher jetties twice a month to discuss problems local fishers face and advocate the importance of protecting wetlands and the benefits derived from wetland resources (3).
Approximately 3km2 of mangrove forest was rehabilitated over the two years of project implementation (4).
For the purpose of awareness raising through dissemination and communication, mangrove replantation was carried out with SMK Chung Hwa students on 6 August 2011 (1).
A conducted training for fisher families on the sustainable use of wetland resources has enabled them to supplement their income by wisely using mangrove plants, for example, for making edible products or crafts. (4)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Protect coastal and freshwater ecosystems to prevent coastal erosion and pollution
Climate change mitigation:
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Multilateral organisation
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen science
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was led by the Penang Inshore Fisherman Welfare Association (PIFWA) alongside the involvement of the local community where mangrove rehabilitation took place (1). The Penang Inshore Fishermen Welfare Association (PIFWA) was established with the help of the Consumers’ Association of Penang and Friends of the Earth Malaysia/Sahabat Alam Malaysia to assist inshore fishermen – those who work up to five miles out to sea using traditional fishing methods. The project was funded by GEF, Small Grants Programme Malaysia. Also for the current project, in-kind contributions by communities and NGOs guide the grantee and assist in reporting (4). The cost of the saplings was partly funded by factories such as INTEL, AMD and Honeywell (1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
- Multilateral funds/international funding
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
- Provision of other services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Generation of income from NBS
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. The GEF Small Grants Programme (2010), Community Mangrove Biodiversity Conservation in the State of Penang Through Awareness Raising, Education and Restoration, available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
2. Friends of the Earth International (2021), Fisherfolk who plant trees: Turning the tide on mangrove deforestation, available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
3. TenderNews International (no date), available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
4. Friends of the Earth International, Institute for Policy Studies (2015), Getting Climate Finance Right: Successful Examples for the Green Climate Fund from around the World (A Working Draft), available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
5. The Kingfisher, Northern Borneo’s mangrove forests are disappearing, along with our blue carbon stocks, available at Source link (accessed 15-03-2023)
2. Friends of the Earth International (2021), Fisherfolk who plant trees: Turning the tide on mangrove deforestation, available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
3. TenderNews International (no date), available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
4. Friends of the Earth International, Institute for Policy Studies (2015), Getting Climate Finance Right: Successful Examples for the Green Climate Fund from around the World (A Working Draft), available at Source link (accessed 1-2-2023)
5. The Kingfisher, Northern Borneo’s mangrove forests are disappearing, along with our blue carbon stocks, available at Source link (accessed 15-03-2023)
Mangrove planting under supervision of Ilias Shafie, President of PIFWA
PIFWA
Mangrove Mud Crabs - a source of food or income
PIFWA
Mangrove clams
PIFWA
Macaque monkey
PIFWA
Mangrove planting
https://ips-dc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/7-2-15-FINAL-Getting_Climate_Finance_Right-web.pdf
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.