Investment Minister and Investment Coordinating Board Head Bahlil Lahadalia approved Lambung Mangkurat University(ULM) to manage 611 hectares of mangrove land in Kotabaru District, South Kalimantan.
"Minister Bahlil on behalf of Minister of Environment and Forestry has signed a letter approving the commitment of forest utilization business licensing (PBPH) on ±611 hectares production forest in Kotabaru," said ULM Rector Professor Ahmad Alim Bachri in Banjarmasin, Friday.
In the August 8, 2024 letter, ULM's PBPH application was declared to meet the requirements according to Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 8 of 2021.
The issuance of the letter makes ULM one step closer to be the only university in the world to own and manage mangrove land.
The Rector expressed his gratitude to all team that have worked hard to prepare everything related to the utilization of ULM's mangrove forest.
"Hopefully it strengthens the implementation of ULM's vision and mission to become a university excel in the field of wetland environment,” he said.
A total of 611 hectares of mangrove land in Kotabaru is divided into three blocks, namely block I covering 366 ha, blok II 79 ha and blok III 166 ha.
Head of ULM Wetland Environment Development Eng Maya Amalia said ULM is currently completing the necessary documents to follow up the commitment approval letter.
Professor of Forest Management at the ULM's Faculty of Forestry Syarifuddin Kadir expounded that the mangrove forest will be managed for carbon absorption and storage, fishery cultivation, as well as recretional and educational tourism objects.
Syarifuddin said as the only university that has autilization permit on mangrove land, ULM plans to invite a number universities in Indonesia and abroad for educational, research, or community service activities in the area.
Map of forest utilization business license commitment in production forests approved by the government in Kotabaru District. (ANTARA/Firman)
