LIPI gets World Bank grant for biodiversity program

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) will be receiving Rp 14.4 billion ($6.8 million) in grants from the World Bank to fund its biodiversity program.

LIPI deputy chairman Aprilani Soegiarto told reporters yesterday that the five-year block grant would be used to develop the institute's Biological Research and Development Center in handling a biodiversity data base.

The biggest chunk of the grant would be disbursed in October and would be used chiefly to finance post graduate studies of LIPI's research staff, he said.

Aprilani said that, due to Indonesia's incredible biodiversity, there should be a complete catalog made to aid scientists.

Indonesia ranks first in the world in terms of its mammal diversity, third in reptiles, fourth in birds, fifth in amphibious animals and seventh in plant life diversity.

There are believed to be more than 25,000 species of plants and more than one million species of animals in the archipelago. Of these, 30 percent of the plants and 90 percent of the animals have not yet been properly identified.

Aprilia said Indonesia has only few experts to do inventory of Indonesia's manifold flora and fauna.

LIPI has began initiatives to cooperate with foreign agencies to execute its biodiversity program, he said. (prs)