The Government will provide 45 percent of Kalimantan as the lungs of the world. This area is included in the Heart of Borneo area. UGM has also participated in the management of this area along with WWF Indonesia.
Vice Chairman of the National Working Group on Heart of Borneo, Ir. Hartono, said the provision of land is reinforced in Presidential Decree No. 3 of 2012. According to Hartono, the rules should be regarded as an opportunity and support for the implementation of sustainable development and conservation programs in Kalimantan. "Currently, the role of government both at the national and regional levels and stake holders are related in the interest of the heart of Borneo region," he said in a workshop titled Multi-Disciplinary Approach in Developing Development Paradigm in the Heart of Borneo Area, held in the Faculty of Forestry UGM, Thursday (25/1).
Heart of Borneo is an initiative based on the concern about the high rates of deforestation in Kalimantan. He mentioned during the 2000-2002 period, at least 1.2 million hectares of forest vanished. The three countries whose territory lies in the island of Borneo – Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam – eventually established a cooperation known as the HoB Initiative. "The cooperation includes the use of eco-tourism, species management and conservation area management," he said.
So far, the cooperation of three countries has not much progressed. However, cooperation is still done primarily to build good communication between those countries. "In 2007, there was the issue of illegal logging raised by Malaysia but now it is gone," he said.
His office also maintained contact with local people, such as those in plantations and mines areas. Hartono said the agreement should be developed so that in the plantations land opening would not forfeit other communities. “Like the previous orangutans case, to prevent such case from happening again," he said.
Hartono reminds all stakeholders to participate in supervising process, especially after the declaration of the Borneo Island as one of the economic corridors in the Master Plan of Development and Improvement of Indonesia Economic Growth (MP3I). This declaration has a consequence of Borneo becoming mining and processing center as well as national energy center. "The main economic activities are oil and gas, coal, palm oil, steel, bauxite and timber. These have to be scrutinized and examined," he said.
Furthermore, the regulation has made it clear that the HoB area is part of the 45 percent that will be maintained as lungs of the world. The spatial arrangement of the island is meant to achieve energy independence and national energy center. "And it serves as the front porch and the gate of the country to Malaysia," he said.
This President Decree will set government policy related to biodiversity conservation, the development between national parks – where in the Heart of Borneo area there are three national parks and the streams of Borneo rivers. "This President Decree will also perform stabilization of protection functioning areas, and rehabilitation of areas that has function in protection, and control of farming activities in the areas that has function in protection," he asserted.
He described, the Presidential Decree already set the 45 percent region that will be maintained, including the Heart of Borneo. After that, there is a compilation of instruments that govern how the relationship between sectors that can ensure sustainability of the region. "Heart of Borneo should be preserved, because this region is important as a source of water which is rich in flora and fauna," he said.
On that occasion, the cooperation was signed between Dean of Faculty of Forestry, Prof. Mohammad Na’iem, and Director Executive of WWF Indonesia Dr. Efransjah. This cooperation is a form of real contribution in preserving the Heart of Borneo. This collaboration is an academic effort in the Heart of Borneo area management based on the integrity of the landscape, ecosystem preservation, and public welfare. "UGM offers seven pillars of Heart of Borneo landscape management," said Na’iem.
The seven pillars are on the design and modeling of low-carbon development; equality of access and stakeholders; monitoring; the availability and vulnerability of environmental services; policy and governance; alternative energy development and strengthening of human resource capacity.