Tanjung, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Adaro Bangun Negeri Foundation (YABN) invites people in Tabalong District to plant bamboo trees to overcome critical land as well as to preserve the environment and welfare the surrounding community.
YABN's CSR Program in charge Aidah Fitriah here on Tuesday said, it worked together with Karang Taruna Dewa Ruchi, a youth organization in Tanta Sub-district, the Tanta Leadership Communication Forum, and an environment organization Komunitas Lingkungan Pusaka Tabalong to develop bamboo plants.
YABN also collaborated with the Genta Si Hijau villagers (the Tabalong Clean & Green Movement) and the Tabalong Environment Office.
In addition, to reduce critical watershed land due to landslide, Aidah said, bamboo has a high economic value as a raw material for various handicrafts and other needs.
She revealed that initially, it was not easy to getting people to plant bamboo, because of paradigm in society about bamboo. Some still believe the myth that bamboo is a useless plant, even has a mystical element.
When the YABN team in 2019 gave socialization to people about planting bamboo, they did not get a response.
"But the team keep trying to explain that bamboo has benefit in terms of water, soil, and air conservation," she said.
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Bamboo has a fibrous root system with rhizome roots that are very strong, very tight, and spread in all directions, interconnected horizontally and vertically, thus bamboo plants do not break easily, resistant to strong wind and able to stand firmly to withstand erosion and landslide in the surrounding.
However, Aidah told, the explanation was not effective enough to change the paradigm. Until the team finally proved by planting the bamboo themselves, as an example.
Now five thousand bamboo trees planted by the YABN in five years has finally changed people's mindset. The community believes that bamboo, especially of black betung species, can reduce erosion and landslide on the surrounding land.
The bamboo is seen standing firmly even though on a fairly steep land. While a different view is visible on the land where there are no bamboos, erosion, and landslide have occurred as river water eroded it continuously.
"This clear evidence is a very powerful weapon for the team to invite more people to plant bamboo, especially along the riverbank as a form of environmental conservation for river basin areas (DAS)," she said.
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