Planting Mangroves to Avoid Landslide

Planting Mangroves to Avoid Landslide

 by Aminatuzzuhriyah, S.Pd

One can remember important events in his/her life. Like me, even though I am forgetful person, I can still remember the important events that occurred when I was three years old. One of them is a landslide disaster that obliterated our house on the edge of the river.

On that fateful day, kak nina, my neighbor carrying me who was crying. She should have taken me away from there. I felt the atmosphere was so tense. People were running around, riot. I do not know what to do. I looked at my house that slowly began to move down back. I was crying, I was really scared because my house would collapse. The rattling of the houses was terrifying. Until the third grade of elementary school I cried if I heard the sound of the woods when people who are building a house. After that, I did not know where my mom and dad were. I'm with the good kak nina. after that I forget what happened.

According to my mother's story, she was almost buried in the ground behind the house, but the neighbors rescued her. I still remember the sweet memories with my father, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friends in the wooden house.

My experience was just one of the grim stories that happened in my village. Every year landslide disaster hit my village. One or two houses, even dozens of houses buried in the ground. I never heard of any victim died. But it was a scary disaster that never found the end.

The disaster did not stop residents to build houses on the riverbank.
Cause of the disaster was very clear. Peat soils should be planted with mangroves to avoid erosion eroding the soil under the land surface. There was no other choice. Inhabitants had to retreat a few meters from the riverbank. Then the mangrove must be planted there.

The climax was in 2014. Landslide occurred four times. So the youth began to think of the solution. They went to the Tanah Merah sub-district, my village. Asking the government to make order to the people who build houses at the river bank. The population must  concern to nature conservation.
The government responded positively. Then, they ordered the residents to no longer build houses at the riverbank. Mangrove was planted. Residents participated in planting mangroves.

For three years the mangroves grow up. This is a hope for the population to protect the nature. So, no more victims who lost their homes. However, the government must be firm against unruly citizens who have no conscious awareness of natural conservation.