The Ujungpangkah essential ecosystem zone is the first of its kind found outside the conservation forestGresik, East Java (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has designated the Ujungpangkah mangrove in Gresik District, East Java, as an essential ecosystem zone since it serves as a stopover site for tens of types of migrating sea birds from Australia.
Gresik District Head Fandi Akhmad Yani expressed gratitude to the government for designating the mangrove as an essential ecosystem zone and is upbeat about it driving the local economy.
“May the designation (of the mangrove as an essential ecosystem zone) make the people of Ujungpangkah and the surrounding areas prosperous. We are ready to conserve the Ujungpagkah mangrove,” he remarked.
Director of Essential Ecosystem Development and Management of the Environment and Forestry Ministry Asep Sugiharta noted that the mangrove being designated as an essential ecosystem zone will make it well-known at the national and also international levels.
“The Ujungpangkah essential ecosystem zone is the first of its kind found outside the conservation forest. The zone will be recognized internationally and become a pride for the people of Gresik, East Java, in particular, and the Indonesian nation, in general. I am optimistic that the nearby people would love more and care about the environment,” he affirmed.
The zone has been designated as a wet site designed for international interests based on the Ramsar Convention, he stated.
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The Wet Land Convention, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an environmental accord signed by the Indonesian government and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1971 and took effect in 1975.
The convention gives national action and offers international cooperation in conserving wet lands and benefiting from their resources in a sustainable way.
Ramsar identified essential wet land internationally to serve as a habitat for water poultry.
The zone covers an area of 1,554.27 hectares, stretching from the coastal area and estuary and located in the three villages of Pangkahwetan, Pangkahkulon, and Banyuurip.
According to data, 72 types of sea birds inhabit the zone, including 50 types of birds migrating from Australia.
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Translator: A Malik Ibrahim/Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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