North Kalimantan Government and YKAN Establish Cooperation in Sustainable Natural Resources Management

The government of North Kalimantan (Kaltara) opens a new chapter of cooperation with the Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN). "We agreed and agreed to make and sign a Collective Agreement on Sustainable Natural Resources Management in North Kalimantan Province," said North Kalimantan Governor Irianto Lambrie in Tarakan.

This collaboration with the Government of North Kalimantan is a new chapter in conservation efforts on the island of Kalimantan. Previously YKAN had collaborated in the field of natural resource management with the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan which began in 2001. Together with the North Kalimantan Government, YKAN will support efforts to manage sustainable natural resources, strengthen spatial planning, improve community welfare, increase institutional capacity and human resources.

Kaltara province is rich in natural resources. Based on the Decree (SK) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Number: SK.8106/MEN-LKH-PKTL/KUH/PLA.2/11/2018, the forest area of the northernmost province in Kalimantan is 5.65 million hectares. With such a large area, the Provincial Government of Kaltara has stated its commitment to green development which is marked by the inclusion of this province in the Green Growth Program. The program is created by the Ministry of National Planning, the National Planning Agency, as well as related ministries and institutions.

The trail of Kaltara's commitment to green development has been started since the province joined the Governors' Climate and Forests (GCF) Task Force in September 2016. The GCF Task Force is the Governor's Task Force on Climate and Forests. Becoming a member of the GCF means opening up opportunities for collaboration with fellow members and their supporting organizations throughout Indonesia. The collaboration includes efforts to develop low emissions and reduce emissions due to deforestation and land use change. GCF members from Indonesia are represented by seven provinces, namely Aceh, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Papua, West Papua, and North Kalimantan. Kaltara's forests are Indonesian and global assets as part of the world's lungs. "We are honored for the trust from the provincial government to work together in realizing the great vision of North Kalimantan where development goes hand in hand with nature conservation," said the Executive Director of Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, Herlina Hartanto.

The realization of this cooperation begins with cooperation in sustainable forest management in the forestry sector. YKAN supports the provincial government in strengthening Forest Management Units (KPH) as site-level forest management units. In this case, YKAN cooperates with the Provincial Forestry Office of Kaltara to assist the process of preparing forest management planning in the Long-Term Management Plan (RPHJP) of KPH and empowering communities around the forest in the Social Forestry scheme. This collaboration will also strengthen the involvement of stakeholders in natural resource management in North Kalimantan, such as the community, academics, environmental activists, entrepreneurs and the government. At the policy level, YKAN also provides technical support to a number of relevant regional apparatus organizations in implementing initiatives supported by the GCF Task Force.

Currently, YKAN and the Provincial Government of Kaltara have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding. The follow-up of the cooperation will be followed by the signing of the Cooperation Agreement which contains detailed activities.