President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said G20 delegation leaders commended Indonesia’s concrete mangrove-planting steps while inspecting the mangrove forest at the Grand Forest Park (Tahura), Ngurah Rai, on the sidelines of the Bali G20 Summit on Wednesday.
“Many of them are surprised that we have made it this far. They say this is a concrete task because, here, it has a capacity of six million seedlings, that is just one location. I said earlier, we will have 33 locations next year,” Jokowi noted in a statement at Tahura, Bali, on Wednesday.
The president remarked that Indonesia’s efforts in planting and preserving mangroves inspire leaders of the G20 delegation in transitioning to green energy and in the green economy towards climate change.
Jokowi emphasized that as a country with the largest mangrove forest in the world, spanning 3.3 million hectares, Indonesia is keen to contribute to tackling climate change.
“This Ngurah Rai Tahura was an example of a success story of how 1,300 hectares of mangrove forests were planted, rehabilitated, restored, and maintained,” Jokowi affirmed.
The president noted that earlier, Tahura was an area without fish.
However, now, it is home to 33 species of mangroves that are also home to over 300 faunal species, such as fish, shrimp, birds, monkeys, and snakes.
“This is once again Indonesia’s concrete form (of efforts) in (tackling) climate change. Therefore, I convey that Indonesia invites the G20 countries to collaborate in a real action for forest development, inclusive green economic development,” Jokowi remarked.
President Jokowi had earlier officially opened the two-day G20 Summit here on Tuesday.
The G20 is a multilateral cooperation forum comprising 19 major countries and the European Union (EU). The G20 represents over 60 percent of the world’s population, 75 percent of global trade, and 80 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The G20 members comprise South Africa, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, France, China, Turkey, and the European Union. Spain is the grouping’s permanent guest country.
In his opening remarks at the first session, President Jokowi welcomed the leaders of the G20 countries and the delegates present at the meeting, whom he had earlier individually extended a welcome.
President Jokowi then immediately drew attention to several issues that are currently occurring in the world. He noted that the G20 Summit should take into consideration those matters, including the fertilizer issue.
The head of state emphasized that the fertilizer issue should not be underestimated. If concrete steps are not taken immediately, then the fertilizer supply and prices will be disrupted. He stated that this situation will affect the following year.
The crisis could escalate into a food supply crisis, as the scarcity and high price of fertilizers could increase food prices in several parts of the world, Jokowi stated.
Source: Antara News