ABSTRACT
Mangroves are important coastal resources providing a vast range of ecological services and holds cultural values. At global context, mangroves help to regulate climate through its function as a carbon sink. At the site-specific level, mangroves reduce the natural disaster risk which threatens the coastal cities such as the rising of seawater and the intensified storms. Economically, mangroves are also the source of woods used for construction, charcoal, and furniture. The destruction of mangrove is closely related with development and the growth of the human population. The southern Peninsular Malaysia where the state of Johor is located accommodates a total of 29,668 ha mangroves as at 2006. A questionnaire survey took place in 2015 in order to measure the public perception of mangroves. As mangroves are commonly found in the suburban and rural areas of which natural landscape is more dominant than built environment, the respondents that reside in developing towns indicated better awareness towards the general facts about mangroves.
