Ministry of Home Affairs states that Aceh's development must grow together with nature

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Director General of Regional Administration Development at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Safrizal Zakaria Ali, stated that development in Aceh Province must grow together with nature, rather than subjugating it. “It is not enough to merely work together, but we must collaborate,” said Safrizal in a statement received in Jakarta. He delivered this message at the “Growth with Nature” workshop held in Banda Aceh, Aceh, on Monday. In his speech, Safrizal reminded participants of the 2004 tsunami tragedy that claimed over 170,000 lives, as well as the hydro-meteorological disasters in 2025 that resulted in losses of Rp68.67 trillion and displaced more than 2.2 million households. He emphasised that the “Growth with Nature” paradigm must become the new direction for Aceh’s development. The Leuser Ecosystem area was described as a global ecological asset with environmental services valued at more than 600 million US dollars per year. According to him, preserving forests is not a burden on development but a long-term investment in economic resilience and public safety. He also highlighted local wisdom as an important foundation. Safrizal quoted Hadih Maja, which states “Di bineh pasi ta pula aron, di dalam neuheun ta pula bangka…” meaning planting casuarina trees on the coast and mangroves in ponds to protect communities from high tides. Safrizal noted that customary institutions such as Mukim, Panglima Laot, Panglima Uteun, and Keujruen Blang demonstrate that Acehnese society has understood sustainability principles long before the term became globally popular. As follow-up actions, he stressed the need for concrete steps including strengthening spatial planning based on disaster mitigation and protected area regulations, developing pilot projects for nature-based solutions, empowering indigenous communities, and advancing green financing schemes and cross-regional collaboration. The workshop is expected to serve as the foundation for a more sustainable development direction in Aceh, combining modern science, good governance, and local community wisdom.