Five researchers get Unesco award

BOGOR (JP): Five young researchers and environmentalists received a Man and Biosphere (MAB) Award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on Tuesday for their outstanding contribution in their field of work.

The winners are Juniarto Tulius of Padang, West Sumatra, who conducted research on the traditional medicine of the Mentawai people on Siberut island, West Sumatra, while Herda Pamela Hutabarat of Yayasan Alam Mitra Indonesia initiated an education program for natural conservation in the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, West Java.

Yus Rusila Noor of Bogor won an award for research on the Kuntul (heron) bird colony on Dua island and Pamujaan island; Syaiful Anwar of North Aceh for research on mangrove forests; and Reni Sawitri, a young researcher from Bogor who worked on estuary ecosystem management.

The winners each get US$1,000, which was handed over by the Unesco representative in Southeast Asia, accompanied by the Indonesian Research Institute (LIPI) chairman, Sofyan Tsauri, and Commodore Hambar Martono of the ministry of environment. (21/edt)