DEFITRI AKBAR: (JP/Rizal Harahap)

In 1993, Defitri Akbar traveled all over Bengkalis Island, one of 26 islands in Bengkalis regency, Riau, to conduct research for his oceanography studies degree at the Fisheries Faculty of Riau University.

However it was difficult for Defitri to find the right location to do this research -- on the correlation between fallen mangrove leaves and content of organic material in the sediment -- because the coastal environment had become critically endangered.

"A long time ago, mussels, cockles and crabs were found easily among these dense mangrove forests. But all these have now disappeared because local residents cut the mangroves down to make charcoal," Defitri told The Jakarta Post.

"As a result, many community coconut plantations collapsed into the sea because there was nothing to stop the waves," he said.

After finishing his studies, Defitri returned to his native village, Bengkalis, and began to think about what could be done to conserve the mangrove forests.

There was one question that kept bothering him: Why wasn't the government paying attention to the land?

He got an answer after working as a field facilitator on a number of government projects related to the processing of fishery resources and the development of coastal communities.

"Apparently, almost all mangrove conservation projects failed because the tender system was in total disarray. The result of these projects was not everyone understood mangroves, and planting was conducted during the wrong seasons," Defitri said.

"When planting mangroves in coastal areas, attention must be paid to the wind and weather -- there's only a small window of opportunity when planting, otherwise they do not reach their full potential," he added.

Defitri reached the conclusion that successful conservation of mangroves would be impossible without the cooperation of coastal communities.

The involvement of local communities in mangrove conservation projects had traditionally been of limited importance; the communities were given a job but not encouraged to maintain the trees they planted.

Defitri worked toward raising awareness of coastal communities as independent operators.

However, to begin with these communities took little notice of his efforts, as they were not convinced that planting mangroves would create an income.

"They thought that planting mangroves was a stupid job -- something to be done when there were no other jobs available. But if they cut down mangroves, they could make money," he said.

Defitri then invited some of his colleagues to establish a non-government organization called Bahtera Melayu, which drew up two basic targets: Guided participation of coastal communities in a program to save mangrove ecosystems, and the development of alternative incomes to decrease pressure on natural resources and surrounding environments.

Defitri and his colleagues focussed on the conservation of mangrove areas in Jangkang village and Pambang Bay in the Bantan subdistrict. A coalition of nine businesses that were involved with about 15 to 20 coastal communities was successfully formed in both villages to manage a mangrove area of around 230 hectares.

The hard work that took place under Defitri's lead succeeded in saving an area of critically threatened land where trees had been felled -- covering some 60 hectares -- by planting 240,000 mangrove trees.

Forty hectares has since grown a thick cover of mangroves -- now four to five years old, while another 20 hectares has started to recover and is supporting mangroves that are about two-and-a-half years old.

The two groups have also succeeded in protecting a self-sown area of 100 hectares of mangrove forest that had been abandoned by the village.

"It didn't take long to train the group and now they can grow mangrove seedlings independently," Defitri said.

The community has also developed a honey production industry and receives additional income from renting rooms when local and overseas researchers visit.

People who once felled the mangroves have also been trained to make furniture and have developed snack-foods and coconut-oil home industries.

"Changing behaviors and thought patterns of the community was far more difficult than just planting mangroves," Defitri said.

Defitri hopes communities in other regions could imitate the success of his mangrove conservation program and realize conserving nature can also generate an income.

A mapping survey of coastal areas conducted in 2005 showed mangrove forests covered 35,511 hectares in the Bengkalis region, but now mangrove forests only cover around 25,000 hectares.

"If they are not saved soon, the Bengkalis mangrove forests will be extinct within ten years," Defitri said.

"Bengkalis Regency is made up of muddy deltas. If the mangrove forests are destroyed, the islands' natural defense system will not be strong enough and Bengkalis will just become a memory," he said.

Defitri has long been critical of concrete dyke wave-restraint projects and embankment construction because he believes they are not effective and do not last long.

"The destruction of nature must be stopped, and we have to adopt the natural way of conservation -- not through construction projects, engineering or technology.

Together with his colleagues, Defitri has also been active in a green generation education program involving junior and senior high school students.

An award was recently presented to Defitri and his colleagues by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for their achievements in empowering local communities to conserve the environment.

"My obsession is to save the environment, not to gain awards or popularity," Defitri said.

"Preserving mangroves means preserving life. Mangroves can make communities prosperous and at the same time ensure the Bengkalis islands continue to exist."

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