Forestry minister gets conservation medal
Forestry minister gets conservation medal
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo has received a Golden Ark medal for his efforts to promote environmental conservation, particularly in relation to tropical forests.
The medal was presented on Sunday by Dutch Prince Bernhard at Soesdijk Palace in the Netherlands. The medal was presented on behalf of the Golden Ark Foundation, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of Forestry.
The Golden Ark is an internationally-recognized award presented for outstanding efforts in protecting the environment.
The medal, which is equal to a Dutch knighthood, has so far been awarded to 260 people, including nine Indonesians.
Among the Indonesians awarded the medal are President Soeharto, former environment minister Emil Salim, Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX of Yogyakarta and former forestry minister Soedjarwo.
At Sunday's ceremony, Djamaludin received the "Coomandeur" Golden Ark award, the highest honor, together with Prof. Ake-Assi of Ivory Coast.
In the presence of Dutch Queen Beatrix, Djamaludin presented a book on Indonesia's natural environment and a wooden carving of a Komodo lizard to Prince Bernhard as souvenirs.
According to the statement, Prince Bernhard praised Djamaludin for his support for the Leuser National Park project, which covers 1.8 million hectares of forest land in Aceh, northern Sumatra.
The project, costing up to Rp 90 billion (US$39.4 million), will be managed by the Leuser Foundation. The funds will come from the European Union.
The Golden Ark Foundation consists of people who have been awarded the Golden Ark medal for dedication to the conservation of endangered plants and animals.
During his tour of the Netherlands, Djamaludin also met with academics of the Netherland's Wageningen Agricultural University to discuss, among others subjects, the possibility of conducting exchange programs, "sandwich" courses and cooperation in training and research projects.
Such cooperation is expected to allow Dutch professors to teach in Indonesia and to help upgrade the curricula of several forestry schools of Indonesian universities, including Bogor Agricultural University in West Java, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Mulawarman University in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Hasanuddin University in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, and Lambungmangkurat University in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, Indonesia will send lecturers to the Netherlands to conduct research and study which will enable them to broaden their understanding of forestry.
According to yesterday's statement, the rector of Wageningen University will visit Indonesia at the end of January next year to sign the accord.
Djamaludin also met with the director of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in the Netherlands, Ed Nijpels, to discuss eco- labeling.
The two reportedly agreed that once an eco-labeling requirement comes into force in the year 2010, only wood harvested from environmentally-sound tropical forests will be eligible for the eco-label. (pwn)