Mataram (ANTARA) – The National Secretariat for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental conservation by planting trees in Mount Rinjani National Park (TNGR), West Nusa Tenggara.
Head of the Bappenas SDGs National Secretariat Pungkas Bahjuri said on Thursday that his team had planted banyan trees at Post 2 along the Sembalun hiking trail, an area with an important water source that needs protection.
The team planted a total of 10 banyan saplings in the national park as a concrete effort to support SDG 15, which focuses on protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.
“We hope these banyan trees will help protect the water source and ensure its long-term sustainability. This initiative is part of SDG 15, which focuses on life on land, while also helping preserve the environment and vegetation,” Bahjuri said.
He added that the initiative also supports SDG 8, which promotes decent work and economic growth. Mount Rinjani National Park has considerable tourism potential that could help stimulate local economic development.
“This is where the concept of sustainable ecotourism comes in. It aims to preserve nature while providing direct economic benefits to the park management and local communities working in the area,” he said.
He added that successful management of the area would require close collaboration among the national park authorities, the central and regional governments, Mataram University to strengthen research and community empowerment, as well as local communities and other stakeholders.
“Through a comprehensive approach, the Bappenas SDGs National Secretariat hopes to ensure that terrestrial and marine ecosystems, along with the social and economic well-being of communities across Lombok, can be sustained in harmony without damaging the environment,” Bahjuri said.
Separately, Bappenas reported that Indonesia had made substantially greater progress toward achieving the SDGs than the Asia-Pacific region and the global average.
According to Bappenas, Indonesia had made progress on 62 percent of its SDG indicators, while 24 percent remained in the red category, indicating areas that still require significant improvement.
Based on the assessment, Indonesia ranked 77th among 167 countries worldwide, climbing 25 places from its 2019 ranking.
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Translator: A Rauf Andar Adipati/ Azhfar Muhammad, Katriana
Editor: Primayanti
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