Cristiano Ronaldo, Mangrove Ambassador from Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo with the Chairman of Mangrove Care Forum in Madrid. Image: deportes.terra.com.pe

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as an ambassador for mangrove rescue program in Indonesia, by Mangrove Care Forum. The forum is based in Benoa, Bali; they hope Ronaldo can promote awareness to conserve mangroves in Indonesia, especially in Bali. This deal has actually been going on since last March 8, 2013. At that time, Tommy Winata (Forum Chair) was talking face to face with Ronaldo in Madrid. Ronaldo, The Portuguese star is known for doing charity work. Real Madrid's top scorer that season before has donated one hundred thousand pounds, to children affected by war in Afghanistan.

Mangrove Care Forum is a mangrove conservation movement backed by five concerned citizens based in the south of Tanjung Benoa, Bali. Mangrove Care Forum which will be inaugurated in May 2013. This forum aims to increase public awareness of the importance of mangrove forests, as well as invite the active participation of the public, and restore ecosystems and biodiversity of the mangrove plants.

Indonesia Ministry of Forestry estimates that Indonesia has more than nine million hectares of mangrove forests. However, about 70 percent have been lost to shrimp farming, oil palm plantations, as well as rural and urban redevelopment. Tommy revealed, it has conducted a regional conservation and rehabilitation of wildlife and rare, forests, flora and fauna, the sea, and coral reefs covering an area of ​​44 500 hectares of forest and marine conservation areas covering 14 500 hectares in Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC) in southern peninsula of the island of Sumatra.

Tommy said that "Ronaldo is a fit person to be an ambassador for mangrove rescue, because he has charm, and act as role models, so that the whole community are more likely to preserve the mangrove forests,"

Meanwhile, Ronaldo said he is happy to help the organization that cares about the environment. He also admitted that he still remember his experience in Indonesia in 2004 to visit the victims of the tsunami in Aceh. Ronaldo is already familiar with Indonesia when he visited Aceh on June 11, 2005, or a few months after the tsunami disaster in December 2004. At that time, Ronaldo, the Portuguese player met Martunis, a boy who survived the tragedy, and worn Portugal number 7 jerseys. Martunis now become a soccer player, and played for the PSAP Sigli.

"I am honored to play a role in the conservation of mangrove forests in Indonesia. I went to Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, and the damage caused (tsunami) has made a deep impression on me," said Ronaldo. Furthermore, Ronaldo said that "I am aware of mangrove ecosystems can help to cope with high waves. Many lives could be saved, in addition to reducing the destruction of nature,”

Beautiful Mangrove forest in Bali. Image: yandeardana.blogspot.com

 Preservation of mangroves forests is as important as planting or reforestation (reboisasi) rain forests in Indonesia. If planting mangrove seedlings become routine in the waters of Bali and other areas in Indonesia, the world would have a green belt is very long and wide. Sustainability of mangroves and tropical forests in Indonesia and other countries will surely prevent the negative effects of global warming. 

How wonderful if the activists and non-governmental organizations, students, governments, parliamentarians, youth and community supports every movement "Go Green" and "Earth Hour", "Recycle and Reuse" and all activities that protect the environment from the point of ethics, economics , politics and great mission to make the world a decent place we live all the time.

*) This article was written with additional information from various sources such as: kompas.com, tempo.co, goal.com and metrotvnews.com