Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park Beset with Deforestation
2 October 2013 20:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park (TNGGP) chief Herri Subagidi said the national park had been grappling with environmental degradation for 35 years. He added many farmlands in the area had transformed into housing settlements since 2001.
“In 1972, the green areas totaled 187 hectares and there were only few settlements and industrial areas. Exploitation activities were also few, but things have changed now,” he said at the Biosphere Conservation Administrator Dialog Forum recently.
During the dialog, which was titled Environmental Protection from Religious and Cultural Perspectives, Herri explained the sources of clean water from the national park would continue to shrink following rampant deforestation. “Those living in downstream areas will be affected,” he said.
Herri said the TNGGP was one of the largest water sources in West Java catering to the needs in several regencies, including Cianjur, Sukabumi, Bogor, and also parts of Greater Jakarta.
Herri explained the national park’s personnel were continuing to make efforts to restore the national parks conditions through a series of integrated programs.
M SIDIK PERMANA