NTB Police Support Green Tourism Development in Mandalika SEZ

The West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police have carried out a greening movement by planting trees in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone to support green tourism development and preserve the environmental sustainability of the area.

“The number of tree seedlings planted is 1,000,” said NTB Police Chief Inspector General Kalingga Rendra Raharja after a symbolic tree planting at the Bukit 360 area of the Mandalika Circuit in Central Lombok on Friday.

He said the planting at the Bukit 360 circuit area is the centre of the greening movement, which was also carried out simultaneously by ten district police commands across NTB.

He said the aim of the greening activity is a form of the National Police’s commitment to supporting tourism development and anticipating the impacts of land conversion, such as flooding, landslides and other hazards.

“This tree planting is a mitigation measure in facing climate change, global warming and forest damage that triggers floods and drought. This tree planting is important to carry out so that it benefits future generations,” he said.

He said the Mandalika Special Economic Zone has been designated by the government as a priority-scale tourism programme and is an international tourist destination with the Indonesian MotoGP racing agenda and other national events.

“Environmental issues are a concern for all parties, so through this greening movement Mandalika will remain a global tourism destination in the future,” he said.

Therefore, the trees planted in this area are trees that can absorb water, such as banyan trees, rain trees, tamarind trees and other woody tree species as well as mangrove trees. The trees planted are those that can retain water, so they can support the need for clean water for the community.

He said maintenance of the trees that have been planted will continue with regular watering, so that the seedlings can grow and provide benefits to the community. “Maintenance will continue to be carried out routinely,” he said.

He urged the public to work together to preserve the environment and carry out tree planting independently in order to anticipate the impacts of extreme weather. “We hope the public will continue to preserve the environment in their respective areas,” he said.