Concern over the erosion caused by tidal flooding at Muara Beting Beach in Bekasi prompted a team of academics from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia, to visit the site to conduct community service activities. The team collaborated with the Pandu Cendekia Foundation and the Directorate of Community Service and Empowerment at the University of Indonesia.
This abrasion has a major impact on the lives of the people of Pantai Bahagia Village, especially on the livelihoods of local fishermen.
There, the team called Tanam Bakau Bahagia planted 500 mangrove seedlings at Muara Beting Beach, Pantai Bahagia Village, Muara Gembong, Bekasi Regency, on Saturday, November 13.
“Frequent tidal flooding has a significant impact on local residents, especially if the floodwaters take four to seven days to recede. School attendance is also disrupted, and many crab farms are affected, resulting in crop failures,” said local resident Siti Mardianah.
Planting mangrove seedlings is expected to minimize the impact of abrasion and improve the well-being of the residents of Pantai Bahagia Village. In addition to mitigating abrasion, this mangrove planting is also expected to contribute to the preservation and conservation of marine life.
“The development of mangrove coastal ecotourism and the utilization of marine biota such as fish, shrimp, crabs, and snails is expected to increase the income of local residents and make Pantai Bahagia Village one of the must-visit destinations in Bekasi Regency,” said Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., the supervising lecturer for the community service team.
The series of community service activities involving 15 village residents consisted of outreach and education regarding the benefits of mangroves, collectively encouraging mangrove maintenance programs, and creative ecotourism programs based on the restoration of estuary ecosystems.
According to him, mangrove planting plays a crucial role in restoring damaged mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves are known to withstand seawater abrasion and can encourage the development of sustainable ecotourism. Mangroves provide habitat for various animals, including shrimp, crabs, fish, and snails, which can be processed into nutritious food options.
Ecotourism is an environmentally conscious tourism activity that prioritizes nature conservation, empowerment, socio-economic development, and local community culture, as well as learning and education. The team, together with villagers and the local government, will develop four main strategies for developing mangrove ecotourism areas: maintaining the sustainability of mangrove forests, developing supporting facilities and infrastructure for mangrove tourism, developing information on the importance of maintaining mangrove ecosystems, and improving monitoring systems for environmental damage caused by tourism activities.
Mangrove planting carried out jointly with the community, also known as ecosystem conservation efforts, is expected to be an integrated conservation effort and provide direct benefits to the community. The Happy Mangrove Planting Team from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia, consists of ten students, led by Bismi Yasinta Maharani, and Dr. Retno Lestari, M.Si., as their supervising lecturer.
