Titiek Soeharto pushes TWNC to become a living laboratory
Chair of House Commission IV Siti Hediati Hariyadi, known as Titiek Soeharto, is optimistic that the Tambling Wildlife Nature Conservation (TWNC) in Lampung can be developed as a living laboratory to integrate conservation, science, technology and education.
In a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday, Titiek said TWNC’s three decades of conservation experience demonstrate that protecting nature requires long-term commitment.
“Today, I believe Tambling can become something greater. Tambling can become a living laboratory, where nature meets science, technology, education and international relations,” she said.
The statement was delivered by Titiek as she welcomed a visit by 21 Nobel laureates, Turing Award recipients, scientists, academics and world figures to the Tambling conservation area on 27–28 August 2026.
The visit served as an opportunity to bring Indonesia’s conservation experience together with the global scientific community through the development of research and ideas on biodiversity protection, climate change and sustainable development.
TWNC has been managed by Artha Graha Peduli since 1996 and has worked with the Ministry of Forestry since 2008. The area covers approximately 48,153 hectares of forest and 14,089 hectares of marine area.
The area encompasses lowland tropical rainforest, coastal forest, mangrove forest, lakes, freshwater swamps and secondary forest.
During the visit, President of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta said the success of conservation is determined not only by area management, but also by leadership and the involvement of surrounding communities.
“One thing that can be learned is leadership. This is the leadership of Tomy Winata (head of TWNC). It is wonderful that the government and the community have given the responsibility to manage this area for 30 years,” he said.
He stressed that communities must be involved in efforts to protect conservation areas and not merely be spectators.
Ramos-Horta also said Indonesia’s experience in managing conservation areas can serve as a lesson for other countries amid various environmental challenges, including forest fires and natural disasters.
In addition to Ramos-Horta, the visit was attended by a number of world figures, including Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates Frances H. Arnold and Benjamin List, Nobel Prize in Physics laureates Konstantin Novoselov and Brian P. Schmidt, and Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences laureates Robert C. Merton and James A. Robinson.
A number of scientists in the fields of computing, cryptography and environmental science also took part in the visit to the conservation area.