Assessment of the local communities’ knowledge on mangrove ecology

Abstract

The Kuala Selangor mangrove forest are facing massive reclamation for economic development but the conservation aspect and fisheries values of mangroves have been ignored in the decision-making process. The local community support and awareness of the mangrove forest conservation are still doubtful. The aim of the study is to analyse the local community perception on the mangrove forest conservation and management by the current and future development factor. Statistical data was generated using the SPSS software version 22 to develop a descriptive analysis and cross tabulation chi- square for data analysis and interpretation. The results reveal that knowledge and perception towards the mangrove forest are influenced by the socio-demographic factors such as age, level of education, occupation, living duration and distance from the mangrove forest. The data analysed showed that the distance of living from mangrove forest had a positive relationship towards mangrove conservation followed by age and education. Education plays a role in increasing the community awareness and appreciation of the mangrove ecology. The outcome of the study could be utilized by the policy maker and local authority by taking into account the community perception of mangrove forest development, encouraging the community participation in the decision-making process and selecting a sustainable livelihood option for the mangrove forest.