
Siti Nurbaya (Istimewa)
YOGYA, KRJOGJA.com – The meeting of Asia Pacific Countries with tropical rainforests (3rd Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit – APRS) in 2018, Monday, (23/4/2018) in Yogyakarta has become an important summit that will discuss the direction of the world’s tropical rainforest conservation policy.
The Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya conveyed her respect for the presence of all delegations, ministries, and ambassadors of allied countries, private organizations, and academics. Including the private sectors as the participants of the 3rd APRS, as well as Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the Governor of Yogyakarta, who was represented by the Vice Governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta KGPAA Pakualam X that opened the summit.
The Minister Siti also expressed her gratitude to the Minister of Environment and Energy of Australia and staffs, who has supported the summit, either directly or through Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
“The tropical rainforests provide so many things including the biodiversities. If we take a look at Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), then the forests play important role to prevent the climate changes, as water sources, food, energy, health, even the region ecosystem, and even the economy of community,” Siti Nurbaya said.
Siti Nurbaya explained that the summit would discuss seven important topics, start from the Forest and NDC target, restoration and management, until peatland sustainability. The summit would also discuss about mangrove and blue carbon, social forestry, eco-tourism, natural resources conservation and ecosystem, forestry budgeting, investment, and trading.
In press conference, Siti Nurbaya also explained that Indonesian forests contribute about half of NDC’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emission (GRK) by 29% in 2030, where the forests contribute 17.2% on this target.
She also stated that in last three years, Indonesia has succeeded in reducing deforestation from 1.09 million hectares to 0.61 million hectares and strive to reduce it to 0.45 million hectares by 2020, and 0.35 million hectares by 2030.
The Vice Governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta, KGPAA Paku Alam X, said that the forest is the regulator of microclimate and the guardian of germplasm, gifted by God to provide prosperity to the mankind.
Josh Frydenberg, the Minister of Environment and Energy of Australia, conveyed his gratitude to the Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya.
“Indonesia has done its best to gather the countries in one region to conserve the critical forests and to implement the Paris agreement with commitment. For that, I am personally thankful,” he said.