By Masayu Yulien Vinanda


Jakarta (26/10)- Ten governors and Sumatran provincial government have reclarified their commitment to save Sumatra by signing up the Road Map for Saving Sumatra Island Ecosystem which took place in Borobudur Hotel Jakarta (Friday, 26/06).

The “Road Map” is expected to become a guidance to conduct ecosystem-based spatial planning to save the heavily damaged Sumatra Island. Previously, all Sumatran governors on 18 September 2008 had agreed on three important agenda in Sumatran Ecosystem rescue effort. They were (1) development of ecosystem-based spatial planning, (2) critical area restoration, and (3) protection for high environmental value area (in regards to biodiversity and climate change).

Ten Sumatran governors and their representatives signing up the document were Irwandi Yusuf (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam), Syamsul Arifin (North Sumatera), Zulkifli Nurdin (Jambi), Gamawan Fauzi (West Sumatera), Mahyudin NS (South Sumatera), Eko Maulana Ali (Bangka Belitung), Rusli Zainal (Riau), Agusrin Maryono (Bengkulu), Ismeth Abdullah (Kepulauan Riau), and, Sjachroedin Z. Pagaralam (Lampung). Ministers and government officials witnessed the event were State Minister for the Environment Rahmat Witoelar, Minister of Forestry MS Kaban, Minister of Public Works Djoko Kirmanto, Ministry of Home Affair’s Directorate General for Regional Development Syamsul Arief Rivai Bulu, and member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) Prof Dr.Emil Salim who also gave his keynote speech.

The Road Map for Saving Sumatra Island Ecosystem covers three strategical steps; (1) damaged natural forest restoration; (2) forest and sensitive ecosystems protection effort to increase ecosystem carrying capacity of Sumateran Island and (3) development of incentives and disincentives models.

Damaged nature forest restoration is implemented by focusing on its establishment priority as protected area, conducting sustainable forest management practices and involving public participation on carrying out restoration practices. Meanwhile, forest and sensitive ecosystem protection is carried out by increasing conservation areas and protected foresst, as well as combating natural forest clearing to maintain the existing forested areas.

Moreover, natural forest and ecosystem protection is also implemented by monitoring new concession and permit issuance which could lead to forest clearing activities, broadening public accessibility to forest in a bid to implement conservation-based economic activities, or participate and collaborate with official conservation programmes.

Last step had been agreed on in the road map is developing incentives and disincentives models to support regional government in conducting conservation practice and increasing people’s welfare and regional economy development.

The meeting uniting the commitment for saving Sumatran ecosystem were organzed by Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Forestry, State Ministry for the Environment, and WWF-Indonesia as the facilitator.