UNDP grant for Kutai park

UNDP grant for Kutai park

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has pledged US$837,681 in grant money to preserve the Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan as a conservation area with national and international standing.

The project's immediate objective will be to strengthen the conservation basis for the Kutai National Park by producing a report on the values of the park, including an analysis of the relationship between habitat degradation, forest fires, coal deposits and climatic trends, the UNDP announced here over the weekend.

The Kutai National Park, which covers 200,000 hectares, encompasses the largest remaining tract of tropical lowland rain forests and iron wood forests that were once typical in East Kalimantan. More than 500 tree species have been found in Kutai National Park, including the many wild relatives of important fruit trees. (hen)