PC(USA) - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Mangrove Rehabilitation in Indonesia

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)


Situation report update — Indonesia Tsunami Response Mangrove Rehabilitation September 29, 2006		Give now! #DR000167 Alternative Giving Opportunity


The town of Singkil is the center of a small coastal community with approximately 6,000 to 8,000 inhabitants. It sits directly on the Indian Ocean along the west coast of Sumatra Island. When the devastating tsunami hit in December 2004, Singkil did not experience much of its effects because it was shielded by a number of islands between it and the earthquake’s epicenter. However, an aftershock occurred in March 2005, less than 50 miles from Singkil, right off the coast, and the area was devasted.		Destroyed mangrove. Photo: Tatang Husaingi

Unlike that which was caused by the tsunami, Singkil suffered a different type of destruction — all of the trees lining the coast were killed. The earthquake lifted the land by more than three feet and as a result, the trees no longer hold the soil in place. This means that seawater has less resistance when it hits the shore. The birdlife was vanquished, and the ocean life that likes to live under mangrove trees — crabs, shrimp, and many types of fish — lost their homes with the death of the trees. This crippled the fishing industry and the basis of the local food supply.


Seedlings. Photo: Tatang Husaingi	Although the area is mostly Muslim, there are a few Protestant congregations in the Singkil area that belong to a synod with the name “The Dairi Pak-Pak Protestant Church.” Although most of the church’s members are located on the interior of the island, away from the shore, they developed a plan to replant the mangrove trees and are continuing it with a community-based livelihood project for the survivors of the earthquake. Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in and around water. They are vital to local communities because they provide
nutrient-rich environments ideal for cultivating crab, shrimp and fish to supplement fisher-family incomes, as well as providing thatch for roofs and fuel for cooking. In addition, mangrove forests create a natural protective barrier against strong waves, storms, and extreme weather.


The church provided the seeds, soil, and fertilizer to replant mangroves in a small village on the south of Singkil called Pulau Sarok. Pulau Sarok is located further out into the sea than central Singkil, making it a prime spot for mangrove reforestation, which will eventually shelter the coast.	The workers who planted the seedlings. Photo: Tatang Husaingi
Internally displaced women grew the seedlings, than a group of Muslim youth did the actual planting and tending of the seedlings along the shoreline.

The village in the afternoon. Photo: Tatang Husaingi		Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided funds to support the Singkil environmental project. This work is being done in cooperation with our partner in the tsunami response, Yayasan Tanggul Bencana (YTB), which was established by the Communion of Churches in Indonesia to work in response to disasters.


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