Indonesia's biodiversity: the loss and management efforts to ensure the sovereignty of the nation

Abstract

Sutarno, Setyawan AD. 2015. Indonesia's biodiversity: the loss and management efforts to ensure the sovereignty of the nation. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1 (1): 1-13. Indonesia is remarkably very rich in biodiversity. It is recognized as one of the mega-biodiversity countries. Some parts of Indonesia are home to uniquely high level and density of species diversity, which are included in the biodiversity hotspots, i.e., Sundaland (western Nusantara) and Wallacea. Other parts of Indonesia still have natural ecosystems with high biodiversity, it is included in high-biodiversity wilderness areas, namely Sahulland (eastern Nusantara). In the
ocean, Indonesia is the richest in marine biodiversity, being situated at the heart of the Coral Triangle. Unfortunately, sustainable use of biological diversity is less concerned by major stakeholders in Indonesia, as such the rate of biodiversity extinction in Indonesia is one of the highest in the world. Conversion of natural habitat is the major cause of biodiversity loss in the mainland, such as illegal deforestation followed by conversion to oil palm plantations in Kalimantan. While, overfishing is the major cause of biodiversity loss in the ocean, for example, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing in the Arafura Sea. Biodiversity in both locations has been giving welfare not only to the Indonesian people but also neighboring countries. It is now recognized, that biodiversity loss has a significant
impact on the welfare of the Indonesian people as a whole. Therefore, prudent management efforts are needed to ensure the sustainability in the long term and to maintain the sovereignty of the nation by meeting all demands with supply from domestic sources.