Admiring the Enchanting Mangrove Ecotourism in Karangsong
Indramayu, February 13, 2022 - As far as the eye can see, only a vast of green mangroves is cooling to the eyes on a fairly hot afternoon in the Karangsong ecotourism area, on the coast of Indramayu, West Java. Thousands of ibis birds and various other species flew cheerfully to welcome the group of PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) Refinery Unit (RU) IV Cilacap, together with the Regent of Cilacap, Tatto Suwarto Pamuji, and Forkopimda, last January.
The group from Cilacap, accompanied by the Regent of Indramayu, Nina Agustina, and PT KPI RU VI Balongan management, arrived at the Karangsong mangrove ecotourism pier after sailing the Karangsong coastal waters for about 10 minutes. The group was invited to follow the tracking in the 20-hectare mangrove forest area.
GM of PT KPI RU VI Balongan, Diandoro Arifin, said the Karangsong mangrove ecotourism is one of Pertamina's efforts with the community in restoring coastal areas from the abrasion in the 2000s. "Karangsong Village at that time experienced a severe abrasion which resulted in the erosion of the community's ponds," he explained.
He continued, implementing Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL), his party focused on environmental restoration with the Pantai Lestari group, which has pioneered since 2008 by planting mangroves. "The mangrove forest has become a tourist and learning area since it was inaugurated by the Minister of the Environment in 2015. Apart from protecting ponds from abrasion, ecotourism also has an impact on increasing the community's income," said Diandoro.
One of which is the establishment of Rumah Berdikari as a place for handicrafts and Indramayu specialty food, thematic environmental education on mangroves, development of mangrove processed innovations, and others. "Through the integrated mangrove program, we are carrying out conservation efforts, improving the economy, and implementing environmental education from an early age," added Diandoro.
Regent Nina Agustina added, Indramayu has a coastline of 147 km. There are natural resources, which are a leading sector, such as mangroves and the conservation of living things, including birds and other animals. "The visit of the Regent of Cilacap and the group of PT KPI RU IV Cilacap becomes a spirit for us to continue developing mangrove ecotourism," she said.
In line with the Regent, Tatto Suwarto Pamuji explained that this visit was a direct learning medium for the management of the Karangsong mangroves, together with the supporting programs. "Cilacap also has Kolak Sekancil (Konservasi Laguna Kawasan Segara Anakan Cilacap) assisted by PT KPI RU IV Cilacap. What we get from this visit is a comparative review, and its implementation can be adjusted to the conditions in Cilacap," he said.
Acting GM of PT KPI RU IV Cilacap, Arief Budiyanto emphasized that there were many important lessons from the direct visit to the Karangsong mangrove ecotourism that was very beneficial for the development of Kolak Sekancil. “Knowledge from Karangsong is an additional reference for Kolak Sekancil, while still paying attention to local wisdom and characteristics in each region. Our goals are to support government programs, protect nature through mangrove conservation, and empower communities," he stated.**