Prabowo Targets a Green NTT Within 10 Years

President Prabowo Subianto has set a target for East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), a province known for its many dry areas, to become a green region within a decade. The central government will help build nurseries at the provincial and district levels to increase the planting of productive trees while maintaining water availability.

Prabowo conveyed the idea while chairing a meeting on the handling of the NTT earthquake on Wednesday (26/8). According to him, NTT’s recovery is not enough if it only focuses on disaster management; it must be followed by sustainable greening and water conservation programmes.

“So later we will look at other districts as well, we will change NTT to become all green, right, Governor?” said Prabowo.

To realise this target, the central government will help the province and districts build nurseries or seedling centres. These facilities will be used to sow various types of productive trees and plants that can be planted on open land.

Prabowo wants planting not merely to pursue greening, but also to be directed at strengthening water security. Therefore, the selected plant types include productive trees as well as plants that help protect water sources.

“So later, assisted by the centre, we will build seed nurseries, in the province and in each district, to sow seeds of productive trees, productive trees and plants, all open land we will plant with productive trees and trees to secure water,” he said.

Prabowo also encouraged the application of the permaculture concept in mountainous areas. According to him, this approach does not produce instant results, but can help improve the soil’s ability to store water if carried out consistently over the long term.

He estimated that the impact would begin to be visible within four to six years. With careful and continuous implementation, mountainous areas that are currently bare are believed to be able to become green again within about 10 years.

“This is very important, so I am sure that with permaculture these bare lands can become green again within 10 years,” said Prabowo.

The greening programme will also be the responsibility of local governments. Provinces and districts are not only encouraged to develop the agricultural sector, but also to carry out massive tree planting as part of NTT’s long-term development.

Prabowo assessed that this change must be accompanied by education for the public, especially the younger generation and schoolchildren. They need to be given understanding so that they no longer burn or cut down trees carelessly.

“So later the province and districts, besides agriculture, will also carry out re-greening, planting trees in very large numbers, with education starting from young people, schoolchildren, that they may no longer burn or cut down trees as they please,” he said.

According to Prabowo, the issue of greening cannot be separated from the need for water. He stressed the importance of maintaining tree cover and forests because their existence is directly related to water availability and the sustainability of life.

“Trees are the source of life, no tree, no forest, no forest, no water, no water no life,” he asserted.

Besides relying on natural conservation, the government will also use technology to address clean water problems. One of these is desalination technology that processes seawater into fresh water.

Prabowo said desalination technology has been developed by domestic educational institutions. On the other hand, technology from abroad is also becoming more affordable, so both can be integrated to expand access to clean water.

The central government, Prabowo said, will help implement this technology down to districts, sub-districts and villages that need clean water supplies. However, the provision of technology must still go hand in hand with public education about the importance of protecting water resources.

“The water issue is very important, we use desalination technology, desalination that we have developed by our own educational institutions already exists, but technology from abroad has also fallen in price, we will integrate this later, we will help all districts, sub-districts, villages that need clean water,” said Prabowo.

Prabowo then asked local governments not to see NTT only from the challenge of drought. According to him, the province has great potential that can be developed if environmental management, agriculture and water resources are carried out in an integrated manner.