KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Fifteen firms planted nearly 4,000 mangrove trees in Pulau Indah last month as part of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

The tree-planting campaign was to help restore the area’s mangrove ecology, which has deteriorated due to development and industrialisation.

The campaign was started by Infinity Logistics, a regional provider with a presence in seven countries, Westport Malaysia, Central Spectrum, and the Jaring NGO in 2015, and soon grew into an annual event.

It has since been introduced in schools nearby to cultivate the importance of preserving the environment.

Mangroves are tropical trees commonly found in swamplands and are vital for providing a thriving environment for resident wildlife.

Like most of the world’s forests, mangroves have fallen victim to human development and are estimated to have shrunk by as much as 8 per cent since the start of the millennium.