Wakatobi Beach |
Wangiwangi,
S.E.Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared the Wakatobi Marine National Park
of Southeast Sulawesi province as a world biosphere reserve area
unconditionally.
"The
UNESCO has declared the Wakatobi national park, which covers an area of 1.3
million hectares, to be a world biosphere reserve, along with 12 other
biosphere reserves in the world," Wakatobi Regent Hugua said here on Thursday.
According
to Hugua, the decision to make Wakatobi a world biosphere reserve was reached
at the 18th meeting of International Advisory Committee for UNESCO MAB
Biosphere Reserve Program in Paris during April 2-4, 2012.
"At
the meeting 26 areas were considered for world biosphere reserve status, but
only 13 were approved, including Wakatobi. Five areas were given conditions and
five other regions were declined," he explained.
Hugua said,
with Wakatobi becoming a world biosphere reserve in July 2012, Indonesia would
have eight areas with the same status.
He
explained UNESCO wanted to protect three interests while establishing the
Wakatobi National Park as a centre of the world biosphere reserve: local
knowledge, environmental sustainability, and sustainable economic interests of
the local society.
"Local
knowledge is related to the cultural traditions of communities," Hugua
said.
Environmental
sustainability needs to be protected because waters of the Wakatobi National
Park feature a diversity of coral reefs and marine life, which is comparatively
higher than other regions in the world.
"The
Wakatobi waters boast 750 species of coral reefs, out of a total of 850 species
worldwide. Even the Caribbean Sea, which is very popular among tourists,
especially divers, has only 50 species of coral, while the Red Sea has 300
species," Hugua noted.
"With
regard to economic interests of the local society, people in the Wakatobi
should be able to exploit the potential of existing natural resources in a
sustainable manner without disturbing the environmental balance," he
added.
"These
are the three reasons why UNESCO made the Wakatobi Marine National Park a
biosphere reserve centre of the world," Hugua said.
Editor: Heru
1 comment:
I like Wakatobi Beach's picture. thank you for this blog. Petter Joe
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