SK Innovation partners with Fiji to restore mangrove forests
SK Innovation Value Creation Center head Lim Su-kil, left, poses with Fiji Ministry of Forestry Forests Conservator Sanjana Lal, second from left, Pacific Community Secretariat Jalesi Mateboto, third from left, and Oh Jung-taek, consul at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Fiji during a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding on a forest restoration project in Suva, Fiji, Thursday. Courtesy of SK Innovation
SK Innovation has launched a project to help restore mangrove forests in Fiji as part of its move to counter environmental crises across the globe, the company said.
It signed an MOU with the Fiji government for the restoration of mangrove forests in the coastal area of Vanua Levu, the second-largest island in the South Pacific country.
“We aim to create values not only by restoring forests but also by cooperating with residents in the area,” said Lim Su-kil, head of the SK Innovation Value Creation Center. “We will carry through our effort for sustainable growth and coexistence with nature.”
He made the remarks during an MOU signing ceremony at the Pacific Community Narere Campus in Fiji’s capital Suva, Thursday.
Locals will participate in the Sk Innovation-funded project that starts next month. The company received donations for the program from visitors to its booth during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.
“The project demonstrates our commitment to environment conservation and a sustainable future for the next generation,” said Conservator of Forests at Fiji Ministry of Forestry Sanjana Lal. “SK Innovation’s effort will bring positive effects in Fiji.”
Pacific Community Secretariat Jalesi Mateboto also welcomed the Korean refiner’s support. Headquartered in Noumea, New Caledonia, Pacific Community is an international organization addressing various issues such as climate change, disaster risk management and food security for its 27 member countries around the Pacific Ocean.
“A mangrove plays an important role not only in Fiji’s environment but also in Pacific countries’ ecosystems,” Mateboto said. “We are very happy with the partnership with SK Innovation. We will closely communicate with related parties for the project.”
SK Innovation has expanded the restoration project for mangrove forests around the world. Starting its first in the southern Vietnamese province of Tra Vinh in 2018, the company has restored a total of 226 hectares in Southeast Asia. The figure is equivalent to 820,000 mangrove trees.
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water in an equatorial climate. It is known to support coastal and marine ecosystems. Mangrove forests are effective at carbon sequestration mitigating climate change. They also protect nearby areas from tsunamis and extreme weather events including sea level rise.