Govt declares karst conservation zone in three provinces

Slamet Susanto and Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono kick-started on Monday a drive to conserve the country's karst by declaring protected a 154,000- square-kilometer stretch of the limestone caverns covering three provinces.

The conversion of the karst -- which span Kebumen regency in Central Java, Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta and Pacitan in East Java -- into a protected zone, however, would force over 50,000 local people who had been quarrying limestone to stop their means of livelihood.

However, Susilo promised that the conservation effort aimed to improve the welfare of those who lived in the vicinity of the protected areas.

"Apart from the objective of conserving the karst region, the conversion also constitutes an integrated development effort to improve the welfare of locals, who are known to live in arid, underdeveloped and destitute conditions," he said during a ceremony in the Gunung Kidul capital of Wonosari.

He said the government, due to technological and financial constraints, would seek foreign aid to realize the project.

Susilo said the tri-provincial pilot project marked a move toward full protection for karst regions throughout the country.

The government has also set its sights on conserving the Lorentz karst in Papua, the Maos karst in South Sulawesi and the Sangkulirang karst in East Kalimantan.

Limestone caves in the regions had continually been plundered by locals, who stripped the limestone structures of naturally forming stalactites and stalagmites.

Five ministerial institutions will be involved in the development and management of the protected karst zones: the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Public Works, the Office of the State Minister of the Environment and the Office of the State Minister of Culture and Tourism.

Energy minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the institutions would carry out several projects related to their specific fields.

"The energy ministry, for example, will conduct research to determine which areas of the region can be quarried. The public works ministry will develop infrastructure to deliver water to the local population, the culture and tourism office will develop tourism from existing caves, the environment office will concentrate on natural conservation and the forestry ministry will handle the protected forests in the area," he said.

Local officials, however, have said conserving the karst zone would be an uphill challenge.

"It will be impossible to stop the stalactite and stalagmite pillaging immediately, because those who exploit the caves illegally do it for a living," Gunung Kidul deputy regent Subechi said.