TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A group of academicians from various countries, including Indonesia, is set to conduct a research on Lake Towuti. The lake is one of the prehistoric lake located in Luwu Timur Regency, South Sulawesi.
“We intend to study the climate changes that take place and document geo-microbiology process occurring in the lake’s sediment layer,” said James Russel a researcher from the Departement of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, United States, during the press conference at Meradelima Restaurant, South Jakarta.
According to Russel, even the actual depth of the Indonesia’s second largest lake is still a mystery because of the uneven contour of the lake bed. He said the team will drill into 300-meter depth at the center of the lake.
“Some sample will be taken for climate analysis,” he said, adding that the drilling will take place in mid of May.
Meanwhile, the lead researcher from Bandung Institute of Technology, Satria Bijaksana, said sample analysis will be done starting from August 2015.
"It is estimated to take two to three years for the analysis,” said Satria who is hopeful that the research will uncover many facts incuding chemical changes, bilogical process, and ecosystem diversity of Lake Towuti.
A multinational mining company PT Vale supports the research by supplying logistics. Niko Kanter, the Managing Director of PT Vale said the support is part of his company’s commitment to participate in environment preservation. He denied rumors that his company is taking advantage from the research to find new mining land.
“Towuti Lake is an area prohibited for mining,” Niko answered Tempo’s question, which later supported by Satria.
The research project runs under supervision of the International continental scientific drilling program (ICDP) that consisting of Brown University, United States of America, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), National Lacustrine Core Facility, National Science Foundation, and PT Vale with the support of DOSSECC Incorporation.
AMRI MAHBUB
