REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WANGIWANGI -- Indonesia's National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Head Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana has asked scientists to continue studying marine resources from the Wakatobi waters to develop their use as drugs and cosmetic ingredients.

"We expect that the research results would be a reference for governments and industry to take advantage of the natural resources in the region in a sustainable manner," she said while speaking to hundreds of scientists from local and foreign universities gathered in Wangiwangi, Wakatobi to celebrate Alfred Russel Wallace's 100th birthday on Sunday, Nov 10.

Armida also expects that the natural resources can be utilized as a source to improve the welfare of residents in Wakatobi, Indonesia and the world.

The government has continuously focused on, and will continue to provide economic empowerment to the local people, to assure that exploiting natural resources in the region does not threaten the sustainability of the area's environmental safety, she noted.

"The guidance that can be given to the public is in the form of efforts to deal with climate change and provide economic empowerment to help develop the potential sources, such as fisheries and seaweed," Armida said.

Meanwhile, Wakatobi District Chief Hugua said that Wakatobi marine waters are home to 750 types of coral reef species and inhabited by 942 species of fish and a variety of other marine wildlife.

"The potential for abundant natural resources becomes the obligation of all parties to maintain and save from any threats, because these coral reefs and fish would eventually be eliminated once they are heavily damaged, and all the money in the world will not be able to rebuild this region," she said.

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