Under the presidential regulation signed on January 5, 2012, the government would take a number of steps to declare the island the world`s lungs by among others preserving areas which had biodiversity for endemic plants and animals and developing ecosystem corridors among conservation areas, the Cabinet Secretariat said in its official website on Thursday.
According to the presidential regulation No. 3 of 2012, the government will also make an effort to prevent activities that may disturb the reserve areas.
The remaining 55 percent of Kalimantan island can be used to support the government`s program to achieve energy self-sufficiency and national energy barns for electrical power and develop the island into a mineral, coal, oil and gas mining center, the regulation said.
In addition, it can also be used for sustainably developed oil palm and rubber plantations and timber estate; front veranda and gateway of the country bordering Malaysia; water-based national urban area development center; tropical forest-based ecotourism and Kalimantan culture tourism; inter-mode transportation networks; and food self-sufficiency and national food barn. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
