During their visit, Bakar guided Indrawati and Eriksen through an area within the national park, which is situated in Bukit Lawang, Langkat, North Sumatra, to observe one of the park's most renowned inhabitants: the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii).
Amid the lush trees in the park, the three ministers witnessed two orangutans leaping from branch to branch. They also recorded a podcast in the heart of the forest to commemorate World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5.
The visit aimed to highlight Indonesia's efforts in combating deforestation and supporting the achievement of FOLU (forest and other land uses) Net Sink 2030, a critical step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the forestry sector.
Indonesia and Norway previously collaborated through result-based contribution funding to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).
The Sumatran orangutan holds protected status in Indonesia and is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry indicates that in 2016, the orangutan population was estimated at 71,820 across the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, including Sabah and Sarawak, with their habitat spanning 17.46 million hectares.
Endemic to the Sumatra island, the Sumatra orangutan is one of three species found in Indonesia, the others being the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) and the Kalimantan orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry launched the Indonesian Orangutan Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (SRAK) to support orangutan conservation efforts and maintain populations in the wild.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violetta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Anton Santoso
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