Article · Buruk Bakul Village
Monitoring the Mangrove Programme in Buruk Bakul
Yayasan Gambut, GEC, Sekat Bakau and partners reviewed community-based mangrove conservation activities in Buruk Bakul.
Global Environment Centre (GEC) worked together with Yayasan Gambut (YG), Komunitas Sekat Bakau, and the local government of Kabupaten Bengkalis, Riau Province, Indonesia, sponsored by Aramco Asia Singapore (AAS), to implement the Community-Based Mangrove Aramco Protection and Planting in Buruk Bakul Village. This project aimed to contribute to the conservation and rehabilitation of the Buruk Bakul Mangrove Ecosystem over a period of 12 months from June 2023 to May 2024.
Sharing knowledge on mangrove seedling care
On May 26, 2024, in Buruk Bakul Village, Yayasan Gambut and Global Environment Centre conducted a direct visit to monitor the experiences and challenges faced during the implementation of activities. Many experiences were faced by Kelompok Sekat Bakau as the direct implementer in the field, from a technical perspective, such as the survival rate of trees, nursery management, and report preparation.
These experiences and challenges became new knowledge for the group members in the effort to restore the mangrove ecosystem in the coastal area of Buruk Bakul Village. Together, they conducted a visit to the planting location to observe the growth and identify the causes that hindered the growth of the seedlings.
Sedimentation in the Wave Breaker Construction Area (APO)
The construction of the wave breaker was carried out from August to September 2023 by involving the collection of nibung wood (Oncosperma tigillarium) for pile driving and the manual creation of a 100m wave breaker by 11 members of the Kelompok Masyarakat Sekat Bakau. Several minor repair works have been done, and monitoring of sedimentation in the constructed area towards the existing mangrove forest is ongoing.
Measurement of sedimentation increase in the Wave Breaker Construction Area (APO)
There was an increase in sedimentation after the construction of the APO in the heavily degraded area, the installation of measuring equipment showed an increase in sedimentation of around 3 cm along the 100-meter APO construction.
Active participation of the Village Government in Supporting Restoration Efforts
Together with the Buruk Bakul Village Government while explaining the activities that have been carried out
The Buruk Bakul Village Government welcomed the program and also gave a positive response to the achievements that have been carried out in Buruk Bakul Village, Yayasan Gambut and Global Environment Centre provided a report in the form of a narrative document about the achievements and challenges that existed during the project.
This initiative was also continued with a visit to the mangrove ecosystem location that is still well-preserved and has the potential to be developed by utilizing environmental services to support economic movements that are in line with ecology.
Exploring the Buruk Bakul Coastal Area using a boat belonging to Kelompok Sekat Bakau
This visit explored the coastal area of the village and entered the Bakul River using a wooden boat belonging to the Kelompok Sekat Bakau. Along the way, together they saw the potential and discussed the appropriate strategy to utilize the environmental sustainability of the river and mangrove as a source of information, education, and sustainable economy.