Govt declares karst conservation zone in three provinces<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono kick-started on Monday a drive
\nto conserve the country's karst by declaring protected a 154,000-
\nsquare-kilometer stretch of the limestone caverns covering three
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
The conversion of the karst -- which span Kebumen regency in
\nCentral Java, Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta and Pacitan in East Java
\n-- into a protected zone, however, would force over 50,000 local
\npeople who had been quarrying limestone to stop their means of
\nlivelihood.<\/p>\n
However, Susilo promised that the conservation effort aimed to
\nimprove the welfare of those who lived in the vicinity of the
\nprotected areas.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from the objective of conserving the karst region, the
\nconversion also constitutes an integrated development effort to
\nimprove the welfare of locals, who are known to live in arid,
\nunderdeveloped and destitute conditions,\" he said during a
\nceremony in the Gunung Kidul capital of Wonosari.<\/p>\n
He said the government, due to technological and financial
\nconstraints, would seek foreign aid to realize the project.<\/p>\n
Susilo said the tri-provincial pilot project marked a move
\ntoward full protection for karst regions throughout the country.<\/p>\n
The government has also set its sights on conserving the
\nLorentz karst in Papua, the Maos karst in South Sulawesi and the
\nSangkulirang karst in East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Limestone caves in the regions had continually been plundered
\nby locals, who stripped the limestone structures of naturally
\nforming stalactites and stalagmites.<\/p>\n
Five ministerial institutions will be involved in the
\ndevelopment and management of the protected karst zones: the
\nMinistry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of
\nForestry, the Ministry of Public Works, the Office of the State
\nMinister of the Environment and the Office of the State Minister
\nof Culture and Tourism.<\/p>\n
Energy minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the institutions
\nwould carry out several projects related to their specific
\nfields.<\/p>\n
\"The energy ministry, for example, will conduct research to
\ndetermine which areas of the region can be quarried. The public
\nworks ministry will develop infrastructure to deliver water to
\nthe local population, the culture and tourism office will develop
\ntourism from existing caves, the environment office will
\nconcentrate on natural conservation and the forestry ministry
\nwill handle the protected forests in the area,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Local officials, however, have said conserving the karst zone
\nwould be an uphill challenge.<\/p>\n
\"It will be impossible to stop the stalactite and stalagmite
\npillaging immediately, because those who exploit the caves
\nillegally do it for a living,\" Gunung Kidul deputy regent Subechi
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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