SKK Migas, Mubadala Energy plant 7,000 mangroves

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Taskforce (SKK Migas) together with Mubadala Energy planted 7,000 mangrove seeds on the coastal area of Gedambaan Village in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan.

Senior Manager of Health, Safety, Security, and Enviroment (HSSE & AI) of PT Mubadala Energy Widi Hernowo said that planting mangrove is part of community benefit program with the principle of maximum benefit for the community, including coastal areas.

"One of its form is we help Kotabaru residents to get better environment," said Widi Hernowo here, Wednesday.

He said his side realized that mangrove forests were starting to decrease, thus they made effort to help the community by replanting so that they could benefit from it.

"We plant 6,000 mangrove seeds (Rhizophora sp.) and 1,000 Api-api (Avicennia sp.) seeds with the concept of ecotourism education," he said.

They collaborated with a state elementary school SDN Gedambaan in the action with the aim of providing education so that school children understand how to plant and care for mangrove that have been planted.

"They are the children of the residents here who are expected to care for and look after these plants," he said.

In addition, SKK Migas and Mubadala also collborated with the Kotabaru Polytechnic Students Executive Board (BEM).

Representing the Regent of Kotabaru, Expert Staff for Economica and Development Johanudin said the tree planting action conducted by SKK Migas-Mubadala Energy could have a good impact on quality of environment as well as a mean of unifying community to care more about the surrounding environment.

He hopes that this action will be able to reduce the decline in number of mangroves on Kotabaru coast.

Representative of Pulau Laut Sebuku Forest Management Unit (KPH) Rohimah said that planting mangrove as an effort to preserve coastal plants and can absorb carbon dioxide resulting from environmental pollution.