“Only Koreans Who Managed” to Turn a Land 1.5 Times the Size of Seoul into a Green Sea

Editorial notes:

The real proof of “BhinnekaTunggal Ika”, which was directly reported by the first Jakarta correspondent who was authorized by the Indonesian government.

Heading to Pangkalan Bun Plantation

The entire land is filled with the color of green. It is green as far as eyes can see. The windsways quietly from the ridgeto the mountain top just like a wave. A low cloud covers the sea like a fluffy blanket. The observatory, that stands 475 meters above sea level,resemblesa ferryboat in the vast sea. The landscape looks like a sea of trees far from the horizon.

This is a vast landscape that can only be encountered by flyingfrom Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta, to Pangkalan Bun for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The journey then took another 1 hour and 30 minutes by car heading north.The plantation was located in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, on the island of Kalimantan (Borneo). The area that was covered with trees reached 63,000 hectares (ha). Imagine the entire city of Seoul (60,500 hectares) covered with dense forests. The area permitted for cultivation is 1.5 times larger (94,384 Ha) than that of Seoul, Korea. It is also one of the top five plantations in Indonesia.

The footpath, which is 6 to 18 meters wide, connects the entire plantation like a spider’s web.It is 3,700 kilometers long. It is five times the distance between Seoul and Busan. When compared to rice farm, which is 20-25 meters long and1.15 meters high during harvest, it is suitable for giant plants with 28 to 34 meters tall. Beforeseeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t imagine it because of the unrealistic numbers. This amazing history was achieved by Koreans,step by step for over 20 years.

Korea’s Afforestation Mission on the Equator

Pangkalan Bun plantationwas established in 1998. Korindo Group, whichledPT Hansang, established a local company (KTH) after obtaining 43 years of afforestation permit from the Indonesian government. It was a big challenge to connect a timber plantation (16,000 ha) near Balikpapan, eastern Kalimantan, which was approved in 1993. According to the Korea Forest Service, Balikpapan is the second plantation area that Koreans have built overseas, while Pangkalan Bun is the largest overseas afforestation area managed by Koreans.

At first, there was opposition from both inside and outside. It was never easy to plant trees, which cannot be guaranteed to succeed even if a large amount of money is invested for a long time. The big and main factor for the current success wasthe agreement on sustainable afforestation, which takes care of and manages forests, far from the old habit ofcutting down natural trees. This program contributed in the protection of tropical forests and reducingglobal warming was the main purpose.

The employees did not mind living in remote areas where they had to live apart from their families. They endured staying in areas infested with vermin and wild animals, that couldinvade their places. The retired Korean forestry experts who stayed there always provide them with knowledge and affection. Director of PT KTH, Park Jong-myung said, “Although there are 22 companies that have been approved for afforestation in Central Kalimantan, Korindo is the only company that has actually attempted and succeeded in afforestation.” In other words, only Koreans who managed to carry out afforestation program on the equator.

Currently, KTH has 4,500 employees, including around 20 Koreans. The annual production output reaches1 million square meters. The planted species is Eucalyptus pelita, a native variantfrom Australia. The bark of the tree is thick, so even if a forest fire breaks out, it has a strong viability. When seedlings are planted for three months, they grow up to 20 to 25 meters high and 18 to 20 centimeters (cm) in diameter, as tall as a person’s chest. It is divided into six sections and each section will be harvestedevery year.The section is 35 times the size of Yeouido region. Afterward, the company will plant again on the same area.

The seedling maintenance at two nurseries runs well. Currently, only 30 Eucalyptus pelita clones (reproduction) planted on the area with ID 30 and is meant for biofuel (biomass). Meanwhile,raw materials with ID63, whichis used for furniture manufacturing, are only two units. But starting this year, there will be added one more unit, soit will be 10 units by 2030. The research and development process to increase productivity and create a healthy ecosystem in order to reduce damage due to pests has been ongoing for 21 years. The plantation has 200 tree clones. It usually takes 10 to 18 years to get a single tree clone. Wehave to plant the same clone in different soil and wait for the result. That is why the companybuilt trial areas all over the plantation.

The seedlings produced by the nursery are 15 million tree seedlingsper year. The leaves on the tree seedlings are cut into 7 to 8cm long pieces and placed in a bright greenhouse for two weeks until the roots come out. After the roots appear, the tree will be left to grow for about two months. However, the yellow and red seedlings do not look healthy. “This is a trial for the trees to adapt with the worst condition,bygiving less water before shipment to the location to be planted and the trees can grow well in a poor environment,” said JeongYoon-hwa, a 41-year-old manager in charge of the nursery. He continued by saying, “Seedlings that look bluish are not good.”

Wood chips for pulp, which are used as raw materials for paper or textile, were piled up 25 meters high at the wood processing complex in Natai, 50 kilometers south of the plantation. There is also a biomass power plant with a capacity of 7.3 megawatt (MW). Jeong Se-yong, the manager of the factory, said, “The electricityis100%generated from wood pallet only, and theelectricity is used by 23,000 households in accordance with Korea’s standards. We sell the remaining electricity to the Indonesia’s State Electricity Company (PLN) and supply some of it to the local residents for free.”

Korindo Plywood Factory (KABS), which is 25 kilometers south of the road, hires 1,200 employees to produce plywood for concrete mold to be exported to Japan. The work hour is divided into three shifts. “We planto develop and export 7mm floorboards from trees harvested from the plantation,”said Kim Ji-han, the manager of KABS.

Residents Who Were Involved in Forest Fires Also Participate in Tree Planting

The plantation in Pangkalan Bun also changed the lives of the surrounding community. Residents who used to carry out slash-and-burn method to clear land or hunt in the forest have now participated inplanting andmaintaining the trees. This is due to the People’s Forest program. Korindo paid US$7 per ton (approximately KRW 8,300) to residents who allow the company to plant trees on their own land. A bigger incentive is paid to residents who are willing to maintain the trees themselves, which is $35 per ton (approximately KRW 42,000 won). The People’s Forest program, which started in 2006, has now increased to 5,100 hectares, and the residents have earned a total of US$760,000 (approximately KRW 900 million).

said Simas, 60, of the town of Topalan. “In the past, most residents set fire to the mountains and made fields. With the anti-fire laws in place, we couldn’t open new fields. Since I planted trees, my life has been more stable and I’ve been planting more. I recommend it to my acquaintances. It’s our future.” Nur Huda, 47, said, “Until my child goes to college, I’m not worried about money, so I’m raising trees like children.”

This business provides more income for the residents. Since 2020, the company has been experimenting with porang, a konjac raw material, and nilam, a raw material for perfume Channel No. 5.The company also operates a BlackSoldierFly (BSF) maggot cultivation that provides additional income for the community through the eco-friendly waste disposal.

Witnessing the World’s Largest Orangutan Sanctuary

The plantation in Pangkalan Bun is also at the forefront in protecting orangutans. The company works together with orangutan conservation groups in conducting the population survey and creating the ecological corridor that connects the protected forest areas. Located 93 kilometers south of the plantation, Tanjung Puting National Park is the world’s largest orangutan sanctuary. It is about six times the size of Jakarta with 415,040 hectares. The place gained more fame after visits by actress Julia Roberts (1997) and former U.S. President Bill Clinton (2014).

As I went deep for about 30 minutes by speedboat while enjoying the view of mangrove, I reached TanjungHarapan Camp. I followed the ranger (national park keeper) who was going to feed the orangutans. After a 10-minute walk through the jungle, a 28-year-old female named Sandra appeared with the sound of a rattling tree. When the ranger called out, Paldo (24) and Erwin (35) appeared along with 10 other female orangutans. In Indonesian language,they are people (orang) who live inside the forest (Utan or Hutan). They are not referred to as animals, but people.

“There are 33 orangutans that have been given names and about 40 other orangutans, including babies, who live nearby,” said Abu (43 years old), the park keeper. “We give 30 kilograms of food every day to maintain their nutrition.” The keeper spent more than an hour interacting with around 10 orangutans in a distance. We all hope that the coexistence between man and nature as the habitat of orangutans can be kept well-maintained.

Pangkalan Bun and Tanjung Puting (Kalimantan): Correspondent Ko Chan-yu (jutdae@hankookilbo.com)

 

Source : naver.com