ITTO aid for RI forests

JAKARTA (JP): The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) yesterday agreed to provide Rp 2.5 billion (US$1.15 million) in grant to the Indonesian government to support the conservation of Bentuang Karimun forests in West Kalimantan.

B.C.Y. Freezailah, the executive director of ITTO, signed the grant agreement with Director General of Forest Conservation Soedjadi Hartono in a ceremony here, which was attended by Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo.

Freezailah said that ITTO helps finance the socio-economic and biodiversity research to preserve the 800,000 hectares of forests in Bentuang Karimun, whose location is close to the Lanjak Entimau conservation of Sarawak, Malaysia.

He said that Indonesia and Malaysia will jointly conduct the research to help increase the social welfare of indigenous people around the forests.

The project is aimed to improve the forest management system which is not only stressed on species and ecosystem conservation but also the interests of local people.

The two countries will sign an agreement in October to manage the natural forest resources and develop eco-tourism in Bentuang Karimun. (yns/09)