Indonesia: South Kalimantan piloted watershed rehabilitation

Antara 2 Jul 19;

The concern of the South Kalimantan Provincial Government for watershed rehabilitation is very good
Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan could be an example of the implementation of a national watershed rehabilitation program, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Director General of Basic Management and Forest Protection, Budoyo, said.

"The concern of the South Kalimantan Provincial Government for watershed rehabilitation is very good," he said after the opening of the Business-Based Watershed Recovery Movement National Workshop in Banjarmasin, Tuesday.

South Kalimantan has a very good concept of rehabilitation, and is followed by the government including the governor, his ranks, and the wider community, he added.

Through the concept implemented by the South Kalimantan Provincial Government, the watershed rehabilitation program in this province will be successful, and can be an example of rehabilitation for other provinces, he believed.

With regard to the types of plants for the rehabilitation of protected forest friends, plants such as fruit trees should not be used for industrial purposes, he used.

Plants for industrial needs can be planted in cultivated forest areas, he added.

Based on data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, critical and very critical land in South Kalimantan reached 511 thousand hectares, which is now being sought to be rehabilitated, head of the South Kalimantan Forest Service, Dr. Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said.

"As in the Tahura region, 40,000 hectares will be planted in 2019," he said.

Based on the data, in 2019 the South Kalimantan Forest Service also targets planting 32,000 hectares through the Green Revolution program.

In the first semester, an area of 6,820.12 hectares has been planted, where the planting activities are fully supported by the provision of seeds through the Forest Plant Seedling Center.

At present, the seeds, totaling 732,830, have been distributed for all activities while the stock currently available is 833,582 seeds.

In addition, a Tropical Rainforest Miniature Program (MH2T) was also carried out, which began in 2017, he said.

At present, it has been planted with an area of 55 hectares (HA) of 90 ha, with a total of 36,372 stems, consisting of main/core plants and shade/shade plants, he said.

A network/pipeline has been built for watering, inspection roads with hardening, procurement of Gazebo as many as five units, as well as the manufacture of warehouses and toilets, are currently in process.

South Kalimantan Provincial Government also implemented a Social Forestry program that aims to improve the welfare of the community, around the forest area, Hanif added. Social Forestry program is a sustainable management system implemented by local communities through village forest schemes, community forests, community plantations, customary forests and forestry partnerships.

Until the first semester of 2019 the forest area that has been managed by the community through the program covers 40,496.20 ha through 74 PS permits involving 81 forest farmer groups.

Of the 74 permits, 48 licenses have been operational involving 54 forest farmer groups.

Reporter: Ulul Maskuriah/Eliswan Azly
Editor: Sri Haryati