Indonesien vil i år skabe 12 nye beskyttede skovområder på i alt 1 million hektar for bl.a. at beskytte truede dyrearter som elefanter, tigre og orangutanger, fremgår det af en pressemeddelelse torsdag fra Verdensnaturfonden, WWF.
With the Indonesian Governments commitment to establish 12 new forest protected areas – totalling 1 million hectares – this year, protection of endangered species such as elephants, tigers and orang utans will receive a welcome boost, WWF, the conservation
organization, said Thursday. The forests to be protected are also vital for over 500 different indigenous communities.
The pledge was announced by the Indonesian government during the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD CoP7) in Kuala Lumpur.
It comes at a time when the Indonesian forests, and the animals, plants and indigenous populations of these forests are under extreme threat from illegal logging, forest conversion and habitat
loss, and factors such as poor governance and lack of law enforcement.
This results in an annual loss of an estimated 3,6 million hectares of forest, and some 4 billion US dollars to the countrys economy.
– The establishment of these new protected areas is part of Indonesias commitment to fulfilling our obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity, said Mr. Koes Saparjadi, Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation at the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, who made the announcement.
– Conserving these forests is not only important for Indonesia and its people but also for the international community, added he.
The 12 protected areas to be created include the highly important
wildlife habitats of Tesso Nilo, in Sumatra, and Sebangau, in Borneo.
Tesso Nilo is one of the largest remaining blocks of dry lowland rainforest in Sumatra. According to WWF, it is home to 350 Sumatran elephants and an important population of the endangered Sumatran tiger.
WWF research also found Tesso Nilo to have the highest vascular plant diversity per area ever recorded by science, with 218 different species of plants identified within a 200-square metre area.
However, over 300.000 hectares of Tesso Nilos forest have been converted to industrial plantations since 1984, and less than 180.000 hectares remain today. WWF stresses that if such a trend continues, one of the worlds most diverse forest will disappear.
Borneos largest remaining lowland forest, Sebangau is home to an orangutan population estimated between 2.500 – 4.500.
WWF highlights that local Dayak communities have consistently acknowledged the ecological and spiritual values of this large coastal and inland swamp forest belt, and insisted upon effective conservation and sustainable use of Sebangaus remaining forest areas.
WWF further stresses that addressing the threats to these forests requires concerted efforts to ensure the aspirations, well-being and sustainable livelihoods of local communities. It also requires support and cooperation from the corporate sector.
– The commitments made today will have global significance when they become reality, said Dr Claude Martin, Director General of WWF International.
– Government, conservation organizations, industry, local communities, and funding organizations need to collaborate to fully realize these pledges and also ensure these protected areas are effectively managed for future generations, added he.
To ensure that established protected areas in Indonesia do not remain parks in name only, the Government will conduct an assessment of the management effectiveness of these areas, using a tool developed by WWF.
An action plan will then be developed to follow up on the findings of the assessment, and a wider partnership established to ensure
implementation of the plan.
