UGM has built a Bamboo Forest for the Nature Conservation Program in the Wanagama Special Purpose Forest Area (KHDTK), Gunungkidul Regency. This development is carried out in collaboration between UGM and PT Taspen (Persero) through the Taspen Partnership and Community Development Program (PKBL) in order to create sustainable natural conservation. On that occasion, PT Taspen (Persero,) represented by the Head of PT Taspen Yogyakarta Branch, Iwan Junaidi, symbolically handed over an aid worth Rp290,500,000 to the UGM Rector.
“One of the efforts to preserve nature is by planting bamboo. Ecologically, this plant can store water and fertilize the many microorganisms that grow under it,” said Director of Wanagama, Dwiko Budi Permadi, Ph.D, at the Bamboo Forest Development Ceremony, Wednesday (4/3).
Apart from being able to store large amounts of water, bamboos also store carbon stocks which are good for mitigating climate change. Besides that, bamboo has economic benefits because the stems can be a tough building material and the bamboo shoots can be a source of food for the community.
The Wanagama Bamboo Forest Conservation Activity was originally initiated by the Faculty of Forestry UGM as part of the 1,000 bamboo village movement which became the strategic plan of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Bamboo Lestari Foundation, especially the Yogyakarta cluster.
To support the Wanagama Bamboo Forest Conservation activities, which are located in plots 7, 13 and 16, Taspen provided assistance in the form of planting 2,300 giant bamboo seedlings that have been planted in stages. In December 2019, stage 1 planting was carried out with a target of 1,100 seedlings on 1 hectare of land, where the planting location is not far from the river so that it is hoped that the chances of the bamboo plants living will be higher.
The planting of the next stage of 1,100 seeds has been completed and the remaining 100 seeds are used for stitching. In addition, bamboo infusion technology is also applied to anticipate water shortages in the dry season.
“The Wanagama bamboo forest demonstration plot, which has a total area of 2 ha, is planned to be developed into 10 ha and managed intensively into a bamboo ecosystem that has many benefits,” he explained.
He hopes that in the next 5 – 10 years, the bamboo processing industry in rural areas will grow and village institutions and local governments can contribute to the expansion of bamboo forests in Yogyakarta. In line with that, UGM will also strive to continue developing technology that can increase the economic value of bamboo.
UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng, D.Eng, IPU., ASEAN Eng., Gave his appreciation to all parties who support the bamboo forest development program. According to him, the selection of bamboo as a plant that is preserved and developed, especially in the Wanagama area, is very appropriate because it will have a good impact on the natural environment and the people who live in it.
“We have to take care of it as well as possible, so that we can protect the preservation of forests which can support human life,” said the Rector.
The Wanagama Bamboo Forest Conservation Program according to its road map will be carried out for 10 years with four phases, namely the initiation of a demonstration unit (demonstration plot) for bamboo plantations (production and conservation), expansion of the Yogyakarta Bamboo forest cluster, development of the bamboo processing industry, and finally, monitoring bamboo governance and its integration with industries.
“Hopefully this bamboo development in Wanagama will be replicated in the community. Apart from being sustainable, bamboo will also benefit MSMEs with bamboo-based products, “said Deputy Regent of Gunungkidul, Immawan Wahyudi.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/19091-ugm-taspen-tanam-ribuan-bambu-di-wanagama-untuk-pelestarian-alam
