REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Capital City Nusantara Authority (OIKN) stated that the new capital of Indonesia did not damage forests because they were built in monoculture forests.
“The current location used for the construction of the IKN is a monoculture forest. Although there is no IKN, it will still be cut down every 6-7 years for the paper industry. So, IKN does not damage nature,” said Deputy Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of IKN Myrna Asnawati Safitri.
Myrna explained that Borneo's forest, called the Heart of Borneo, stretches from west to north. However, the location of the IKN is not included in the region. IKN development sites are only connected as part of the ecosystem.
On the other hand, Myrna highlights understanding regarding the definition of forest. She said there was a different definition of forest.
“If the people of Jakarta may have a little tree, it is called a forest, but if the people of Borneo do not. So, it depends on how we define forests,” she said.
Myrna said that the development of the IKN using forests covers only 40 thousand hectares out of 252 thousand hectares of the entire land for IKN, of which 40 thousand hectares are monoculture forests. “The development site is now mostly in monoculture forests, so it does not damage the forest. If it's a conversion, it depends on the definition,” she said.
Earlier, Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) Bambang Susantono mentioned that the forest restoration efforts being carried out by Indonesia in the new capital cityregion have gained appreciation from the international community.
“Indeed, 65 percent of the area of IKN Archipelago will be forest. So the current monoculture production forests we will reforest into tropical forests and it is important and appreciated by many international communities that Indonesia will try to reverse the original deforestation into reforestation,” said Head of OIKN Bambang after the launch of the Zero Emission Road Map of the Nusantara RLDC at COP28 Dubai, United Arab Emirates, late last year.
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