Environment Minister Calls on Communities to Start Local Action to Safeguard Biodiversity

Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat has urged communities to take tangible local action to protect Indonesia’s biodiversity, the foundation of environmental and human sustainability. In a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Saturday, the Minister for Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (BPLH) Jumhur said International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on 22 May, can be a moment to reinforce the shared awareness that biodiversity is not merely natural wealth but a fundamental basis for the sustainability of human life.

‘This moment reminds us that the diversity of life on Earth is not only natural wealth, but the fundamental basis for the sustainability of human life,’ said Minister Jumhur.

At the climax of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026 celebrations in Depok, West Java, on Friday 22 May, the Minister noted that Indonesia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, ranking second after Brazil. This is due to the diversity of ecosystems ranging from tropical forests, peatlands, mangroves to coral reefs, which underpin community livelihoods.

However, threats have emerged, including land-use changes, pollution, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and invasive alien species.

Therefore, he stressed that protecting biodiversity must be a priority of development through strengthening protected areas, rehabilitating critical land, controlling pollution, and protecting indigenous peoples and local communities as the main custodians of ecosystems.

The commemoration also forms part of Indonesia’s strengthened commitment ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP-17 CBD) in October 2026, while also demonstrating Indonesia’s readiness to strengthen conservation practices through the implementation of the Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025-2045.