Minister Officially Presents UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve Certification

Jakarta, May 17 (Antara) - Indonesian Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan officially presented a biosphere reserve certificate awarded by UNESCO to Wakatobi recently. The certificate was handed over to Wakatobi District Head Hugua in Wangi-Wangi, Wakatobi, North Maluku Province, last Tuesday, the forestry ministry said in a press statement here on Friday. With the inclusion of Wakatobi in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve list, Indonesia has a total of eight biosphere reserves, of the world`s 598 biosphere reserves in 117 nations. Minister Hasan urged the residents of Wakatobi to help protect and preserve their environment. He earlier visited the Kauluma community forest in the district and symbolically released turtle hatchlings into Patuno beach, Wakatobi. Hugua said he is committed to developing Wakatobi to become a world`s major biodiversity center. As a biosphere reserve, Wakatobi National Park becomes a protected forest for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development based on local wisdom and appropriate sciences. The national park has been known as a world`s coral reef triangle center which has amazing undersea scenery for divers. The traditional culture of Wakatobi`s people is also very rich. The International Coordinating Council of UNESCO`s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) in its meeting in Paris , from July 9 to 13, 2012, added 20 new sites, including two transboundary, to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). Biosphere Reserves are areas designated under UNESCO`s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to serve as places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity. Biosphere Reserves are thus sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development. The newly inscribed biosphere reserves included Wakatobi, which covers the four main islands of Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. It has diverse ecosystems with many marine and coastal species of seagrass, coral reefs, fish used both for consumption and for sale, sea birds, turtles, cetaceans, and mangroves. There are about 590 fish species and 396 reef at Wakatobi Islands. The core area of this site is of great value in the protection of marine ecosystems and the habitats of various important plant and animal species. Wakatobi seeks to become a learning laboratory for researchers, students, local government, NGOs, the public and private sectors, and other stakeholders.