"The government is preparing to build a natural tropical rain forest in the IKN area. In line with President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) direction, the forests in IKN Nusantara area will consist of various types, and no longer homogeneous forests," Nurbaya said in a statement received here, Friday.
The minister remarked that seeds for the heterogeneous forest in IKN Nusantara will be supplied from the Mentawir Nursery in North Penajam Paser District, East Kalimantan.
The Mentawir Nursery is targeted to produce approximately 20 million tree seedlings per year, including plants endemic to Kalimantan, especially those related to Dipterocarpaceae, such as meranti (shorea), camphor, blangeran, and also some trees in Kalimantan, such as sungkai, that are on the brink of extinction, the minister explained.
Nurbaya stated that overall, the Mentawir Nursery has an area of 120 hectares and only some 30 hectares will be used for nurseries.
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In addition, the government will utilize the remaining area by building ponds under the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry's responsibility, with the current water volume of approximately seven hectares. Water from the ponds is used for the irrigation system in the nursery.
"Our commitment to the environment starts from here. We do not have any doubt. There are 20 million seedlings here. Compared to the Rumpin Nursery, this is huge. Therefore, we have to prepare a pond because it needs a lot of water," the minister noted.
She also stated that the government provided space for other parties to participate in developing tropical forests in Kalimantan, including in the construction of Mentawir Nursery, which is included in a large-scale nursery.
"We call the working pattern as a public-private partnership, namely a partnership between the government and the private sector," she stated.
Construction of the Mentawir Nursery is part of the government's efforts to develop the area of IKN Nusantara in an environmental context through various businesses that are economically developed with an environmental concept.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Resinta S
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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