Islands proposed as heritage sites

Islands proposed as heritage sites

JAKARTA: The Kakaban and Derawan Islands in Berau district, East Kalimantan, are being proposed as a world heritage site due to their uniqueness, Kehati Foundation chairwoman Erna Witoelar said.

"We are trying to win the status for the islands together with the government and the local people. Pak Rokhmin Dahuri (fisheries and marine resources minister) has agreed to the initiative," she said on Friday.

Meanwhile, Emil Salim, co-founder of the foundation, said the Kakaban and Derawan islands were unique in their marine biodiversity and formed by the earth's tectonic forces.

Erna said, beside the islands, Tensenilo forest in Riau would also be proposed as a world heritage site for its myriad of animal and plant species.

Of the six world heritage sites located in Indonesia, three are nature reserves, namely Ujung Kulon in Banten, West Java, Komodo Island in East Nusa Tenggara and the Lorentz Mountain Range in Papua.

The other three are cultural heritage sites, including the Borobudur Temple in the Central Java regency of Magelang.

A researcher with the development and environmental program of UNESCO, Jan H. Steven, said each country was allowed to propose a location to the UN body to be recognized as a world heritage site.

The proposal must come from people living near the site, he added. -- Antara