7 May 2022 (Saturday) – Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has organised a special seminar which is a ‘side event’ during the XV World Forestry Congress 2021 which took place in Seoul, Korea, yesterday.

The seminar ‘Mangrove Planting Initiatives in ASEAN Countries: Post Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004’ was themed, ‘Turning the tide: reversing deforestation and forest degradation’ and ‘Nature-based solutions for climate-change adaptation and mitigation and biodiversity conservation’.

This event was a platform to present efforts to plant mangrove trees and coastal species as well as studies conducted in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand after the tsunami disaster on 26 December 2004. It was jointly organised with Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia (FDPM), Wetlands International Malaysia (WI), Mangrove Action Project (MAP), Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI) and Institute of Foresters Malaysia (IRIM).

FRIM Director General Dr Ismail Parlan chaired the seminar, which was conducted in a hybrid with 30 participants attending physically and 36, online.

The following presentations were delivered:

• FRIM Forestry and Environment Director Dr Wan Mohd Shukri Wan Ahmad – Lessons to be shared from Malaysia’s post tsunami research;
• FDPM Wetland Forest Management Section Head Harry Yong – Issues and challenges in mangrove restoration from Malaysia’s perspective;
• WI Technical Officer Yong Huaimei – Local community empowerment in mangroves restoration – case studies from Malaysia and Indonesia; and
• MAP Executive Director Dr Dominic Wodehouse – Lessons and guidance for policy people from MAP’s community-based ecological mangrove restoration best practice.

From left: Ismail, Wodehouse, Huaimei and Harry during their respective presentations.	Attendees and speakers participating at the side event.
One of the attendees asking questions at the Q&A session.	The session also conducted simultaneously via Zoom.