Ministry of Forestry Appreciates South Kalimantan's Conservation of Endemic Plants in Tropical Rainforest
Banjarbaru (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) appreciates the performance of the South Kalimantan Provincial Forestry Service (Dishut Kalsel) in conserving endemic plants in the Indonesian Tropical Rainforest Park (TH2TI) area in Banjarbaru, as a centre for preservation and sustainable environmental education.
Secretary of the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation (Ditjen PDASRH) of the Ministry of Forestry RI, Muhammad Zainal Arifin, in his statement in Banjarbaru on Wednesday, said that the management of the TH2TI area by Dishut Kalsel now demonstrates good performance.
“Especially in maintaining biodiversity through the conservation of endemic Kalimantan plants and strengthening the area’s function as an environmental education space for the wider community,” he said.
He assessed that the management approach integrating conservation, education, and efficient resource utilisation aspects serves as a good practice example in supporting the national agenda for sustainable forest and land rehabilitation.
Head of Dishut Kalsel, Fathimatuzzahra, said that strengthening area management is carried out consistently, not only through endemic plant conservation but also through environment-based innovations that support efficiency and sustainability.
“We carry out leaf waste processing innovations into compost to reduce area waste while curbing fertiliser needs, so that area management can run more effectively and environmentally friendly,” she said.
She explained that this compost innovation is part of implementing circular economy principles in forest management, as previously unutilised organic waste is now reprocessed into products that have utility value for the area.
In the TH2TI area, she mentioned various types of characteristic Kalimantan forest plants such as Ulin trees and around 14,000 Meranti plants that play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance and strengthening the area’s function as a conservation centre.
Fathimatuzzahra emphasised that the presence of these endemic plants serves as an indicator of the local government’s sustainable commitment in preserving Kalimantan’s biological wealth, while supporting national targets for ecosystem-based forest and land rehabilitation.
Besides in that tropical forest area, endemic plant conservation efforts are also carried out in several other locations managed by Dishut Kalsel, such as the Zwagery Island area and the Cempaka region on land owned by the South Kalimantan Provincial Government.
“This working visit by the Ministry of Forestry is expected to strengthen central and regional government synergy in developing forest management innovations, while ensuring that conservation and rehabilitation efforts run effectively to maintain the sustainability of tropical forests in South Kalimantan,” said Fathimatuzzahra.