"The IKN development will go hand in hand with environmental recovery efforts," Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong stated on Friday.
Dohong noted that the IKN development plan encompasses efforts to preserve the environment and curb climate change.
"The spirit of (environmental) protection, preservation, and tackling climate challenges has been embedded in IKN's development plan," he remarked.
By conducting environmental conservation efforts in the construction of IKN, the government is lowering the development impact on environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
In order to minimize the negative impact on environmental sustainability and biodiversity in the IKN development area, the government has been conducting an analysis and strategic assessment of the environment as well as creating a "wildlife corridor."
The government also prioritizes the conservation and rehabilitation of degraded forest areas in the development of Nusantara.
Earlier, on April 12-13, Dohong and a delegation from the United States Congress visited the IKN development area in East Kalimantan.
During the visit, they visited the Mentawir Nursery and the Samboja Lestari Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
The deputy minister ensured that the core area of IKN Nusantara is not a natural distribution or the habitat area of orangutans.
Orangutan rehabilitation centers, such as the Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) Samboja, Jejak Pulang, and the Arsari Itciku Wildlife Rescue Center are located in the outermost zone of the IKN Nusantara development.
US Senator Jeff Merkley emphasized the need to commend the Indonesian government's commitment to building the nation's future capital without destroying forests and the environment.
Merkley said he was amazed at the fact that the development of IKN is based on a forest and environmental perspective that is challenging to realize.
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Translator: Sugiharto P, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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