The Mangrove Care Forum is a mangrove conservation movement in Bali which is backed by five concerned citizens in the south of Tanjung Benoa, Bali. The Mangrove Care Forum will be inaugurated in May 2013 with the aim to raise public awareness of the importance of the mangrove forests, encouraging the active participation of the public in order to preserve the mangroves, and restore ecosystems and biodiversity of the areas.
Ronaldo’s appointment as Ambassador to the Bali Mangrove was conducted at a meeting in Madrid, Spain, by Tomy Winata, who is in Europe to attend a conference of the 56th UN Commission on Anti-Narcotics and Forbidden Drugs (UNODC / United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), which also held key policy cooperation for the conservation of wildlife and prevention of deforestation.
Tomy Winata stated, “I am truly excited and happy that Ronaldo agreed to fully support our activities in order to preserve the mangrove forests in Indonesia. Ronaldo, being the Mangrove Rescue Ambassador, is appropriate given that he has a charm and is a great role model. We expect the message “Save the mangroves, Save Earth” to reach all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor alike.”
In the field of conservation, mangrove conservation is an important thing to do, but often neglected, and nowadays people increasingly do not have the time to worry about such things. The condition of mangroves in Indonesia is quite negative, and Indonesia has lost two million hectares of mangrove areas already. Mangrove conservation not only saves the environment, it is important to save the lives of so many people.
The Ministry of Forestry estimates that Indonesia has more than nine million hectares of mangrove forests, about 70 percent of which have been lost and turned into farms and oil palm plantations, or used for rural and urban development.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo said: “I feel privileged to play a role in preserving mangroves in Indonesia. I went to Aceh after the tsunami tragedy and the devastation that I saw, leaving memories in myself. I understand that in many places overgrown mangrove ecosystems formed to protect against big waves, so many lives could be saved and there would be less damage.”