Southeast Asia · Case study

Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Protecting seagrass and mangroves at a Ramsar estuary during expansion

Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia2023

The Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is a container port in Gelang Patah, Johor, on Sungai Pulai (PTP, 2023). The Sungai Pulai estuary is a Ramsar wetland of 9,126 ha, designated in 2003 (Ramsar Sites Information Service, n.d.a). The neighboring Tanjung Piai Ramsar site covers 526 ha (Ramsar Sites Information Service, n.d.b). PTP therefore works at a direct physical interface with protected mangrove and seagrass habitat. Its 2023 sustainability report sets out, within a location-assessment and mitigation-hierarchy approach, how it managed that interface during an expansion at Tanjung Adang (PTP, 2023, p.37). The case shows construction-interface mitigation rather than a strategic land-use buffer plan.

Approach

Physical barrier at the works edge. For the Tanjung Adang expansion, PTP installed a single layer silt curtain along the seaward boundary of the site (PTP, 2023, p.37).

Backup protection for seagrass. An optional second silt curtain was placed near the Tanjung Adang seagrass area as an emergency measure (PTP, 2023, p.37).

Maintenance and water quality checks. PTP monitored and maintained the curtains to keep them in working order. It tested total suspended solids at three points against a limit of 25 mg/l set in this project's EIA approval conditions (PTP, 2023, p.37).

Mangrove replanting with the park authority. PTP started a mangrove planting campaign with Perbadanan Taman Negara Johor (Johor National Parks Corporation). The aim is to replant 160,000 mangrove trees in Tanjung Piai within five years (PTP, 2023, p.38).

Biodiversity risk system. PTP reported that it is putting in place a Biodiversity Assessment and Monitoring System to address biodiversity risks in its project areas (PTP, 2023, p.38).

Results

Tests on 8 June 2023 found total suspended solids of 20, 19 and 10 mg/l at the three monitoring points, below the 25 mg/l limit in this project's EIA approval conditions (PTP, 2023, p.37). These are single-day readings. In 2023, PTP planted 14,789 mangrove seed saplings toward its five-year 160,000 target (PTP, 2023, p.38). These results are self-reported. The report does not give seagrass condition data or mangrove survival rates.

Transferability

DMC ports expanding near sensitive habitats such as mangroves and seagrass can apply a hierarchy of avoidance, mitigation and monitoring suited to the site.

Sediment controls such as silt curtains should be selected and positioned through project-specific assessment, with backup measures and regular water quality checks against the approval conditions.

Partnering with a park authority can support mangrove replanting. Reports should separate short-term water quality readings and planting counts from longer-term habitat condition and survival.

Sources

All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.