By Yasmin Ramlan
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Mangroves and other suitable trees have been planted across more than 200 hectares of coastal areas in Selangor, as part of the Federal government’s effort to address the issue of flash floods as a result of high tides.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said nationwide, over seven million trees, including mangroves, have been planted, covering 33,000 hectares of coastal areas.
He said the move is also aimed at reducing soil erosion in these areas.
“This is green infrastructure… We cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach (when addressing issues of high tide). So, the engineers will look at the needs of each area and their problems.
“It involves analysis to identify the type of erosion that occurs in each coastal area, such as the erosion rate, tide, as well as climate change impact,” he said in response to a question from Kuala Langat MP Ahmad Yunus Hairi on whether the government plans to introduce new methods to address issues related to the high tide phenomenon, particularly in Kuala Langat district.
“To reduce the risk of coastal erosion in the district, the ministry will cooperate with the Irrigation and Drainage Department to build and upgrade the coastal embankment to monitor the high tides phenomenon, mainly in Pantai Cunang and Pantai Tanjung Sepat.
The coastal embankment improvement project is expected to start in early 2024, he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
