DILI, 28 march 2023 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MoAF) together with Heineken Timor planted more than 500 mangrove seedlings, aiming to contribute to the conservation and restoration of mangrove habitats and ecosystem along the coastal areas of Hera, in Dili municipality.
The tree planting program also aims to contribute to increasing the distribution of the mangroves in Hera’s coastal areas to protect shorelines from damaging winds, waves, and floods.
HEINEKEN Supply Chain Manager Pisey Hoeung said that mangroves are highly productive, biodiversity-rich, inter-tidal forest ecosystems adapted to survive in the harsh interface between land and sea, saying, therefore, planting more mangrove trees would contribute to tackling climate change.
“The mangrove tree planting activity is part of HEINEKEN’s commitments to the environment, social sustainability, and responsible consumption on a path to a net zero, fairer and healthier world. This program called 2030 Brew a Better World,” Hoeung told reporters in Hera-Dili, today.
He said mangroves can store large amounts of carbon for long periods, and their protection reduces carbon emissions and supports climate change mitigation: “Therefore, the mangrove tree planting is part of our strategies focusing on taking care of our environment and planet.”
HEINEKEN pledged to cooperate with Dili municipal authorities and local communities to plant more mangroves, especially along the coastal areas of Hera.
At the same place, the Director of Agricultural Services of Dili Municipality, Teófilo Maia, said that mangrove forests play an important role in providing breeding grounds and habitats for a variety of fish and other marine species.
“Mangrove forests reduce both the height and the velocity of the incoming waves, thus decreasing the level of inundation,” he explained.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
