IKN Development Is Ensured To Use Forest And Land Rehabilitation Approach

ILLUSTRATION/DOC OF PUPR Ministry

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has ensured the construction of the new National Capital City (IKN), using a forest and land rehabilitation approach by planting endemic plants and its efforts to involve the surrounding community.

Director General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation (PDASRH) KLHK Dyah Murtiningsih highlighted that some IKN areas in East Kalimantan are surrounded by monoculture and industrial plants.

"The area, which is currently characterized by monoculture and industrial plants, will be transformed into a tropical rain forest with endemic plants," said Dyah as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, November 7.

She explained that the transformation into a tropical rainforest at IKN would use a forest and land rehabilitation approach.

"By involving local communities in open locations and locations where the eucalyptus planted is approximately two years old," she explained.

In the IKN development, it is planned that there will be a forest area that functions to strengthen the surrounding environmental ecosystem in the IKN development process.

The area will be divided into five zones, namely forest park conservation areas, nursery and production forests, wilderness zones, corridor areas for wild animals, and mangrove ecosystems.

The forest zone, which is part of the Central Government Core Area, is currently filled with industrial plants such as eucalyptus.

Dyah said the total area in the Central Government's Core Area which is planned to undergo transformation until 2023 is 984 hectares from the 4,600 hectares targeted for completion in 2024.

"Currently, the process of forest and land rehabilitation for the transformation is still ongoing with a target area of ​​917 hectares until the end of 2022," she said.

To support this effort, nurseries such as the Mentawir Nursery in North Penajam Paser Regency have been built with an area of ​​120 hectares which has been prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the area.