First in Indonesia: South Sumatra Provincial Government and Pertamina Plaju Refinery Collaborate to Build Swamp Garden in Jakabaring and Plant 55 Rare Tree Species
Palembang, July 3, 2024 - PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) Refinery Unit III Plaju is committed to supporting sustainable development in South Sumatra.
This commitment is demonstrated by supporting the Biodiversity Garden construction in South Sumatra, which had its groundbreaking ceremony with the South Sumatra Provincial Government on Tuesday (2/7/2024).
Elen Setiadi, Acting Governor of South Sumatra, stated that the revegetation of the biodiversity garden has been long-awaited.
"The construction of this garden starts with revegetation and will not only serve tourism purposes but will also focus on environmental preservation and biodiversity conservation. It is a wonderful step," he said.
Elen greatly appreciates Pertamina Plaju Refinery’s involvement and full support in backing the revegetation plan for the 5-hectare biodiversity garden in the Jakabaring Sport Center (JSC) area. "Thank you, Pertamina, for joining us in building South Sumatra. I believe there is much we can plan hand in hand," he said.
Meanwhile, Yulianto Triwibowo, General Manager of PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional Refinery Unit III Plaju, stated that Pertamina Plaju Refinery will continue to synergize with relevant stakeholders to achieve sustainable environmental goals.
"We believe synergy is very important in creating collective efforts to achieve our goal of realizing a sustainable environment. Therefore, in the future, we will continue to promote synergy with stakeholders as Pertamina Plaju Refinery's commitment to supporting sustainability goals," he said.
Yulianto added that Pertamina aims to reduce emissions and achieve Net Zero Emission (NZE) by 2060. Therefore, this garden’s construction is in line with Pertamina's mission. "As a business entity, we also plant trees within and around the refinery," he continued.
Pertamina Plaju Refinery also focuses on several similar biodiversity conservation programs, including the Research & Conservation of Belida Fish (Chitala lopis), with 154 conserved fishes, the breeding of 33 deer, including 32 spotted deer and one sambar deer, the conservation of 28 Sumatran elephants, and the planting of 4,663 trees from 104 species to support the greening program around the Pertamina Complex.
Indonesia's First Swamp Garden with 30 Endangered Tree Species
This garden will feature 55 rare tree species, consisting of 30 main endangered species and 25 supporting species. Some of these trees are already endangered with statuses such as vulnerable, critical, endangered, and least concerned. Examples include Geronggang (Cratoxylum arborescens), Meranti (Shorea), Tembesu (Fragea fragrans), Belangeran (Shorea balangeran), and Ramin (Gonystylus bancanus).
The garden, located around the Jakabaring Sport Center complex in Palembang, will serve as a conservation site for rare flora based on swamp soil. It will establish Indonesia's first swamp garden for biodiversity conservation.
The Biodiversity Garden, referred to as the Taman Kehati (Kehati Garden), is a designated area for local natural resources conservation outside of forest areas with in-situ, and/or ex-situ conservation functions.
"This garden aims to save various native/local plant species that face a high threat to their preservation or risk of extinction," he explained. The garden will be divided into 87% green area, 3% water retention area, and 10% infrastructure.
The construction of this garden has been planned for a long time, considering that South Sumatra currently does not have a dedicated Biodiversity Garden.
The construction of this garden is mandated by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Regulation (PermenLHK) No. 3 of 2012 on Biodiversity Gardens, and it has been reinforced by the South Sumatra Provincial Government through Governor's Decree No. 418/KPTS/DLHP/2021 on Biodiversity Garden Area Sites.
This Taman Kehati will also be the first in Indonesia to be located on swamp land.
Expansion Up to 20 Hectares
The planting method involves a mound system that adjusts to the height of the flooding and the ebb and flow of the water.
Tree species will be planted using fertilizers, and for the initial phase, the fertilizer will come from block compost made from natural materials, making it environmentally friendly.
The management and maintenance system will be handled by multiple parties, especially Pertamina, the South Sumatra Environmental and Forestry Department (DLHP), and the Jakabaring Sport Center (JSC) management, for a cooperation period of five years. This will be institutionalized with a decree from the Acting Governor. If the prospects are good, this development area will be expanded to 20 hectares.
This location was chosen because it is not a protected land. Additionally, managing a swamp area presents a unique challenge, making it the first Biodiversity Garden in Indonesia located in a swamp area built from scratch (with no previous plants).
In the future, it is hoped that this Biodiversity Garden will become a venue for biological natural resources preservation, biological conservation, research activities, and recreation.
Generally, plants aged 4-5 years can adapt and grow on their own, but ongoing plant maintenance support is still needed, with decreasing intensity as the plants age.
Vice President of Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero), Fadjar Djoko Santoso, added that with the groundbreaking of this garden, Pertamina Plaju Refinery supports the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) achievement No. 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable utilization of terrestrial ecosystems, and sustainably manage forests. "Pertamina Group strives to fulfill its commitment as a sustainable company, in this case by preserving nature. We hope that efforts like this can protect nature for the future and mitigate climate change," he explained.
Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations.**