Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar made assurance that the development of new capital Nusantara will not damage nature, but rather, it would positively impact the local ecology, economy, and social conditions.
“The new capital will contribute (to our efforts) in achieving the 2030 FOLU Net Sink target,” Bakar stated in her scientific oration delivered during the 60th Dies Natalis of Mulawarman University here, Tuesday.
While addressing the university audiences, the minister expounded that the new capital will be developed as a forest city to harmonically balance the natural ecology, forest areas, and local social situations.
“The forest city concept means a landscape-based city, with an emphasis on forest ecosystem, as the basis of urban spaces structure and urban residents’ activities orientation, as well as (a medium to) facilitate interaction between urban activities,” she stated.
The new capital landscape is an industrial forest surrounded by production, conservation, and reserve forests, the minister stated, adding that the new capital will restore forests in East Kalimantan, especially in areas surrounding the future Nusantara City.
The government has also readied the Mentawir Nursery to supply 15 million tree saplings annually, she stated.
“East Kalimantan’s natural tropical rainforest will be restored once more,” Bakar affirmed.
Meanwhile, the minister lauded East Kalimantan for its nature conservation efforts while not sidelining economic development.
She pointed out that the province had become the first in Indonesia to receive the donor commitment to reduce carbon emissions from the donor countries of World Bank amounting to US$110 million.
“East Kalimantan is an example for other regions in the world that economic development can proceed while upholding conscience of the ecology and social aspects. East Kalimantan has done it first followed by Jambi,” Bakar remarked.
The minister expressed optimism that ecological, economic, social, and cultural aspects would not be contradicted in the efforts to achieve sustainable forests, as those aspects can be developed in concert without diminishing each other.
Source: Antara News