JABAR EKSPRES —The government is taking steps to restore the environment along with the development of the archipelago’s capital city (IKN) in East Kalimantan province.
“The development of the IKN will go hand in hand with environmental recovery measures,” Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry, Alue Dohong, said in a press release received by Indonesia Window here on Friday (14/4).
He said that the IKN development plan includes efforts to preserve the environment and control climate change.
“The spirit of protection, and preservation, as well as addressing climate challenges has been embedded in the IKN development plan,” he said.
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The principles of environmental conservation are also applied in the development of IKN. The government takes steps to minimize the impact of development on environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
To minimize the impact of development on environmental sustainability and biodiversity, the government conducts environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental studies and creates wildlife corridors.
The government has also made forest conservation and rehabilitation of degraded forest areas a priority.
Alue and a delegation of the United States Congress on April 12 to 13, 2023 conducted a working visit in East Kalimantan, reviewing the IKN Nusantara area, Mentawir Nursery, and Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
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He said that the IKN Nusantara core area is not a natural distribution area for orangutans. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) Samboja orangutan rehabilitation facility, Jejak Pulang, and Arsari Itciku Wildlife Sanctuary Center are also in the outer zone of the IKN Nusantara development.
Meanwhile, United States Senator Jeff Merkley argued that the Indonesian government’s commitment to build a national capital without destroying forests and the environment should be appreciated.
“It is very good that IKN is made with a forest and environmental perspective. It is not easy to achieve, but we must try to achieve it,” he said.
