Denpasar, In the City

Denpasar’s Mangrove Information Center

There is a mangrove information center in Denpasar illustrating the interesting mangrove forest to visitors while giving additional knowledge on the use of these beach plants with respect to the local ecosystem. You may visit the Mangrove Information Center on By Pass Ngurah Rai Road, Suwung Kauh, 21 km south of Denpasar.

The Mangrove forest, grown around Denpasar on a ground of about 1.373.05 ha is under the management of the Ngurah Rai Grand Forestry Park abbreviated in Indonesian to ‘Tahura’, established on an area of about 200 ha with an office in the middle of this area. Additionally, there are nursery plots of about 7.700 square-meters, wooden trails, huts to rest and floating decks.
According to research on the Distribution of Mangrove Species and Availability of Seed Collecting Forests on the Islands of Bali and Lombok, the following can be found in the mangrove forests:
(1) 13 types of major mangrove in Be- noa Bay including Rhizophora, Sonneratia, Bruguiera, Avicennia and Ceriops.
(2) 9 types of minor mangrove such as Xylocarpus, Aegiceras and Heritiera.
(3) 28 types of associated mangrove including Acanthus, Ipomea, Ba- rringtonia and Clerodendoron.
(4) 62 types of bird
(5) 32 types of crustaceans
(6) 10 types of reptile.
All these species appear in showcases at the mangrove center.
The condition of the mangrove forest had been in decline year to year because alteration of its function as shown by layers of shrimp embankments and the excessive felling of trees. The Indonesian Forestry Department took measures to improve the condition of the Suwung Kauh mangrove forest through the Development Project of Sustainable Mangrove Forest Management aided by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 4 November 1992 until 1999, resulting in a model sustainable management.
Other results of the project are the issuance of the Guidebook on Planting and Seabed and a booklet on the mangrove in this country, and the rehabilitation of 253-ha of mangrove forest.
However, despite the action taken to improve the condition, the deterioration of mangroves has got worse as the efforts have not been sufficient. The budget has also been limited due to the economic crisis, which meant that the project was only continued from 15 May 2001 by means of informative action of clarification on sustainable mangrove forestry management.
The Mangrove Information Center Project has to support action to increase awareness and actions by all related parties projected to end on 14 May 2004. There have been two main sub-programs and three supporting sub-programs, targeted at developing training activities and at realizing training tests to formulate a training program and the execution of a range of surveys and case studies.
The sub-program consists of eco-tourism towards the development of a mangrove park at the project site by establishing a visitors’ information center, museum, touch pool and trail, and conducting tour guide training with an aim to disseminate information useful to the general public.
On the other hand, the environment education sub-program aims to provide the public with the opportunity to gain experience and knowledge about the mangrove ecosystem by means of various activities.
There are still several complementary detailed actions by sub-sections amongst the other sections of management, training and database installment in line with the existing sections. (Budarsana)