Berbak-Sembilan National Park Proposed as UNESCO World Biosphere
25 July 2018 13:46 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Palembang - South Sumatra was eager to develop Berbak-Sembilang National Park as an international tourism site then proposed it as UNESCO World's Biosphere Reserves.
Berbak-Sembilang National Park would be proposed as the new world’s biosphere. The Director-General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems at the Environment and Forestry Ministry Ministry Wiratno said the eco-tourism site would not only preserve the environment but also boost the community prosperity.
“The nature exploration will not destruct [the environment] as it becomes a tourism site,” said Wiratno in a sideline event of the 30th session of the Man and Biosphere International Co-ordinating Council (MAB-ICC) UNESCO, Palembang, Tuesday, July 24.
He said many eco-tourism places in Indonesia was famous including Cibodas and Kalibiru in Yogyakarta. With the proposal of Berbak-Sembilang to UNESCO, the government was expected to expedite the place as the eco-tourism park.
The 205,750-hectare national park was located in Musi Banyuasin District, South Sumatra. The region was a migration place of birds from Siberia in October. The park was a peat swamp and freshwater swamp forests which had a potential for riverside tourism.
The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) deputy chief Bambang Subiyanto said the community in the vicinity of Berbak-Sembilang National Park should be prosperous so they would not utilize the forest for their needs. “A research shows that the eco-tourism site will indirectly encourage the public to preserve the nature,” he added.
PARLIZA HENDRAWAN