LHK Ministry plants trees to support urban forest in Tanah Bumbu

Batulicin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK Ministry) has planted thousands of trees to support the development of urban forest on 560 hectares greenspace in Batulicin, the capital of Tanah Bumbu District.

The Ministry's Director General of Forestry Planology and Environmental Design (PKTL) Hanif Faisol Nurofiq here on Thursday said that the urban forest within the industrial area is to prepare a city center in Tanah Bumbu and the forest become a showcase.

“Batulicin has the potential to develop rapidly, so it must be prepared now. We want to give an idea to the public about how important is forest. It will balance between environmental aspects and the rapid city development,” he said after leading the simultaneous planting.

Hanif said that the urban forest will have similarities with Central Park in New York City which covers 340 hectares. It was built over 100 years ago in the middle of a bustling city and becomes a beatiful combination between the progress of New York and the urban jungle.

He affirmed that the ministry fully support the efforts of provincial and district gpvernment to build urban forest.

Read also: ULM plants thousand trees to lower forestry emissions, supports LHK Ministry

Hanif extended the message from LHK Minister Siti Nurbaya that the national simultaneous tree planting has been carried out since the beginning of rainy season as  a mesure to reduce the impacts of climate change that really occuring globally.

Regional Secretary of South Kalimantan Roy Rizali Anwar, who accompanied PKTL director general, said that the provincial government is fully committed to realize the urban forest in the area which is the asset belonging to South Kalimantan government in Tanah Bumbu.

This is to optimize effort to reduce critical land combined with plan to develop industrial area, he said.

So far, the regional government has succeeded in developing greenspace in several areas, namely in Governor Offices (Forest City) 90 hectares, golf area 15 hectares, in Ambulung 4 hectares, and in Palm Banjarbaru 9 hectares.

Head of South Kalimantan Forestry Service Fathimatuzzahra said that according to Batulicin Industrial Zone's masterplan, 80 hectares area is provided for greenspace in the initial stage.

“Today we plant 4,000 Belangiran and Jabon trees covering four hectares area. The planting will continue in all phase 1 greenspace area of 80 hectares divided into pure forest, mixed forest, and agroforestry zones,” she said.

The green revolution program promoted by South Kalimantan government since 2016 has succeeded in greening 150,954 hectares of land.

Through this program, South kalimantan has increased the environmental quality index as well as reducing the area of critical land significant from 642,000 hectares in 2013 to 511,000 hectares in 2018. Then, in 2022 it became 458,000 hectares or decreased by 184,102 hectares.

Read also: LHK Minister bestows Proklim awards on 62 villages in South Kalimantan