JAKARTA – Some groups of people have been trying to portray Indonesia as a country without a system of conserving biodiversity. But apparently, what they were trying to portray is just a myth that can be convincingly debunked by the following facts.
The biodiversity of both plants (flora) and animals (fauna) is the essence of the ecosystem which also forms a complex web of foods. Therefore, the conservation of biodiversity should be implemented with a wholistic approach of ecosystem and not merely with a sectoral approach. Biodiversity is a high-value asset in the ecosystem so it must be preserved across generations. According to Indonesian Law No.26/ 2007 concerning Spatial Planning, Indonesia’s land area is divided into two categories, namely areas of protection and areas of cultivation.
Data (Table 2) shows that its total area of forest as an area for biodiversity conservation is 88.41 million hectares consisting of 41.65 million hectares of protected areas and 46.77 million hectares for cultivation areas.
The main function of protected areas is to serve as “home” or for preservation of flora and fauna, both in situ (fully cared for by nature) and ex situ (a combination of natural and human care).
Meanwhile, cultivation areas are also a form of biodiversity preservation through cultivation. Cultivation areas are areas legally allocated for businesses or community activities, such as for agriculture, plantations, production forests, urban areas, settlements, industry, and others.
The expansion of oil palm plantations is within the cultivation area. Unlike protected/conservation areas, land use in cultivation areas can be converted between sectors. Agricultural land can be converted into non-agricultural land, production forests can be converted into non-production forests, oil palm plantations can be converted into non-oil palm areas and vice versa. (*)
Source: Mitos & Fakta Kelapa Sawit – 4th Edition | Mitos 7-03
