Situbondo, March 28, 2022 – PT Paiton Energy (PE) and PT Paiton Operation & Maintenance Indonesia (POMI) have been continuously conserving the mangrove forests in Blekok Village, Situbondo, East Java, as part the initiatives for climate change mitigation. These conservation efforts are also synergized with improving the economy of the surrounding community through ecotourism.
Initially, Blekok Village was an area that required special efforts to support the sustainability of mangrove forests and Blekok birds that live in mangrove forests.
In order to overcome these problems, in 2018 and continuously until now PE – POMI synergized with the Situbondo Regional Government, with the participation of local community, to develop a conservation area for mangrove habitat and also Blekok birds for environmental sustainability. In addition, this synergy is aimed so that the community can also benefit from the preservation of their environment and nature, to create harmonization between human and environment.
The focus of PE – POMI in this program is the conservation of Mangroves and Blekok birds through the Mangrove Center, Mangrove Planting Program, and the Conservation Campaign, as the environmental aspect. While for the community development, this program is focused on the capacity building program for tourism managers and the surrounding community, as well as other infrastructure.
Chief Financial Officer of PT Paiton Energy, Bayu Widyanto said preserving forests such as mangroves is very important because it affects the environment in the local area, Indonesia and globally. Forests have a strategic role for climate change mitigation to absorb carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.
In the mangrove forest of Kampung Blekok, Paiton Energy is not only carrying out flora and fauna conservation, but also making efforts to improve the economy through community-based ecotourism and the creative economy. “This is clear evidence that conservation and economic improvement can be synergized and complementing each other,” said Bayu Widyanto.
CFS Manager of PT Paiton Energy – POMI Bambang Jiwantoro said that ecotourism in Blekok Village has superior value, namely a place for nature education to get to know mangroves and various bird species, one of which is Blekok. This is something no other place has.
Bambang also said this program creates job opportunities for around 50 families who live in the ecotourism area of Kampung Blekok. Apart from being wood and bead craftsmen, the people who live in Blekok Village also have a culinary business and provide homestay facilities for visitors who want to stay in Blekok Village.
Kholid Maulana, Head of the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) of Blekok Village, said the ecotourism program in Blekok Village can improve the welfare of local residents and increase public awareness of conserving mangrove trees. “Mangrove trees are very useful for protection from abrasion, as well as being a home for Blekok birds,” he said.
Fatchur Rohman, a researcher at the State University of Malang, said that mangrove trees can also absorb carbon which is very important for mitigating climate change. The mangrove ecosystem of the pole category in Blekok Village has a total biomass of 2100 tons/ha and a carbon stock of 1092.6 tonsC/ha.
The community-based ecotourism and conservation program in Kampung Blekok is one of Paiton Energy’s many Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs which are categorized into three focuses, namely supporting the sustainability of the Company (power plants), socio-economic sustainability, and energy and environmental sustainability.
Paiton Energy commits and works hard to make sure the electricity supply from the units 7, 8, and 3 are well maintained in order to support the efforts of PT PLN (Persero), to maintain the reliability of the Java, Madura, and Bali grid.
For more details, please click the media links below :
– Bisnis Indonesia: https://m.bisnis.com/amp/read/20220330/44/1516880/paiton-energy-konservasi-hutan-bakau-untuk-mitigasi-perubahan-iklim
– Hutan Indonesia: https://hutanindonesia.com/paiton-energy-konservasi-hutan-bakau-untuk-mitigasi-perubahan-iklim/
– Radar Bromo: https://radarbromo.jawapos.com/news/31/03/2022/paiton-energy-pomi-gencar-konservasi-hutan-bakau-untuk-mitigasi-perubahan-iklim/
– IDXchannel: https://www.idxchannel.com/foto-1/foto/kampung-blekok-destinasi-wisata-di-situbondo
– Celebrities.id: https://www.celebrities.id/view/foto-foto-kampung-blekok-destinasi-wisata-di-situbondo-R315jw
– Koran Duta Masyarakat: “Bangun Wisata Lewat Capacity Building”, Pg. 8, Ch. Tapal Kuda, 29 March 2022
– Koran Kompas: “(Berita Foto) Kampung Blekok di Situbondo”, Pg. 11, Ch. Nusantara, 5 April 2022
– Koran Sindo: “Kenangan Senja di Kampung Blekok”, Pg. 13, Ch. Galeri Foto, 7 April 2022
– Koran Kompas: “Cuit Burung Blekok, Mangrove, Dan Langit Senja Situbondo”, Pg. 19, Ch. Jendela Nusantara, 10 April 2022
