Forest at Nusantara Capital 1,805 hectares under rehabilitation now attracting wildlife

Nusantara — Forest and land covering 1,805 hectares at the Nusantara Capital (IKN) undergoing rehabilitation since 2024 is now attracting wildlife, particularly birds, as various endemic Kalimantan tree species have become established, according to IKN Authority Head Basuki Hadimuljono.

“The area, which was previously an industrial monoculture eucalyptus plantation, has now been transformed into tropical rainforest through planting multi-purpose tree species (MPTS) and endemic Kalimantan plants,” he said in Nusantara on Sunday.

Endemic trees that have grown following planting initiated two years ago include meranti, agarwood, kapur, medang, nyamplung, and nyatoh species, alongside various fast-growing plants to accelerate ecosystem recovery.

He explained that over the past two years, significant vegetation growth has increased biodiversity, evidenced by the return of wildlife such as birds to the rehabilitation area.

The area was visited the previous day by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni alongside East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud and their entourage, who planted native Kalimantan tree seedlings.

During the visit, Minister Raja Juli stated that forest as a natural resource must be maximised for the sustainable welfare of the community. The Ministry of Forestry will continue supporting IKN, particularly regarding reforestation efforts.

“The forest and land rehabilitation location saw planting two years ago, but the trees are now tall enough to replace monoculture plantations. Birds have also been reported returning because the vegetation is diverse to support IKN becoming a forest city,” Raja said.

Beyond ecological aspects, the visit also highlighted the social dimension of IKN development, marked by the ministry’s distribution of social forestry permits to four East Kalimantan forest farmer groups.

This distribution of social forestry permits is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to ensure communities surrounding forests gain legal access, economic benefits, and active participation in sustainable forest management.

East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas’ud emphasised that balance between development and environmental conservation is the primary principle at IKN.

“Forest conservation not only helps reduce global warming but can also become an economic activity for the community,” he said.