Palangka Raya, Ekuatorial – US government will grant half a billion dollars to support Indonesia’s effort to reduce carbon emission, said Robert O Blake Jr, US Ambassador to Indonesia during his two days work visit to Central Kalimantan, on Thursday-Friday (5-6 Feb).
Blake said that the grant will be disbursed into a program called Indonesia Forest and Climate Support or IFACS which aimed to ensure sustainable forest management and sustainable economic development. Out of US$500 million (Rp6 trillion), as much as US$ 40 million (Rp 507 billion) will be allocated for projects in Central Kalimantan.
“What happens in Kalimantan affecting not just Kalimantan, but also Indonesia, even the world,” he said adding that Central Kalimantan was the main driver on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially from peatlands which contributed 60 percent of Indonesia’s total emission.
Currently, he said IFACS programs were focusing on training people to increase public service at Tanjung Puting National Park and Sebangau National Park which consequently protected the whole ecosystem. Similar programs also run in Papua and Aceh under IFACS.
Wartony, head of Central Kalimantan Environmental Agency said that US visits would exposed natural resources of Pulang Pisau and hopefully developed it in the future as the district was included in REDD+ program.
“Through this visit, [we hope] that other sectors would also be supported, such as rubber plantation among other forest conservation programs,” he said. Maturidi