Climate change mitigation and handling need to be included in the sustainable development concept that takes into account the ecosystem, society, and economy typical to a region. This emerged in the Regional Workshop for Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara entitled Integration of Climate Change Issue and Regional Development on Monday (10/11) at Melia Purosani hotel inYogyakarta.
Organised by the management agency of REDD+ Indonesia in cooperation with Association of Climate Change and Indonesian Forestry Experts (APIK), the event brought together some 100 academics, researchers, and related parties to explore the local rationale to enhance the national sustainable development plans.
Speakers of the event were Dr. Nur Masripatin, Deputy Head forManagement of REDD+Indonesia agency, Dr. Mahawan Karuniasa, regional coordinator of the agency for Java, and Dr. Satyawan Pudyatmoko, Chairman of National Association of Experts of Climate Change and Indonesian Forestry (APIKI).
Nur Masripatin said climate change had brought negative impacts on various aspects of human beings. Concerns arise that climate change reduction efforts are slow while every country has its own interest in reducing the impacts. Thus, he said, “It is important to immediately mitigate climate change in a serious manner,” adding that “the world needs to re-focus on climate change mitigation efforts.”
Chairman of APIKI also Dean of Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Satyawan Pudyatmoko, said many scientific projects and researches related to climate change and forestry were conducted by Indonesian universities. His office is ready to work in synergy with other agencies to give contributions to the issues.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahawan Karuniasa, said population outburst and decreasing enviroment supports became the biggest barrier in climate change in Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, making these areas vulnerable. He stressed the importance of mainstreaming the climate change mitigation efforts in future Indonesian sustainable development plans.