POMI enhances community capacity to manage community forests in Situbondo

Situbondo (ANTARA) - PT Paiton Operation & Maintenance Indonesia (PT POMI) is ensuring the sustainability of its environmental programme by enhancing community capacity in managing community forests in Selobanteng Village, Situbondo Regency, East Java. Head of Human Capital, Facility and Community (HCFC) at PT POMI/Paiton Energy, Rochman Hidayat, stated that the Strengthening Strategy and Collaboration for Community Forest Management programme is conducted in partnership with Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) for routine annual monitoring and evaluation. “We do not want the programme implemented in Selobanteng Village to merely run its course. Therefore, we are collaborating with UM for annual monitoring,” he said during the community capacity-building event titled “Protecting Water Sources, Preserving Biodiversity” in Selobanteng Village, Banyuglugur Subdistrict, Situbondo, on Saturday. According to him, the environmental programme in the westernmost village of Situbondo is designed to run long-term, not temporarily, and to guarantee its effectiveness, routine annual monitoring is carried out. Furthermore, Rochman added, the programme, which focuses on water source protection and conservation and has been running since 2009, not only aims to preserve the environment but is also expected to enhance community capacity in independently managing community forests. “We want the fathers and mothers present here to provide input on its benefits, as this is a joint programme,” he said in front of dozens of local villagers. Meanwhile, an academic from Universitas Negeri Malang, Prof Fatchur Rohman, appreciated the Selobanteng Village Government and local community for their commitment to preserving the environment. According to him, consistency towards the village and active participation from the local community are key to successfully protecting the environment, as Selobanteng Village has extraordinary biodiversity wealth that must be maintained. “We appreciate the village head who has a strong commitment to preserving biodiversity,” said Prof Ong, his familiar nickname. Over the past decade (2015-2025), entrusted by PT POMI to monitor the Water Protection and Biodiversity programme in Selobanteng Village, 66 plant species have been recorded in the village’s community forest. “The plant diversity index in Selobanteng is quite high, meaning the variety of plant types is diverse and the distribution of each type is also very good,” said Prof Ong. On that occasion, he conveyed that nature was created to meet human needs, and humans themselves have the responsibility to maintain that order. “This nature was created for human needs, therefore let us protect it together,” stated Prof Ong.