JOGJAKARTA (KU) - Faculty of Forestry UGM in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Forestry holds an international training program of forest rehabilitation for Timor Leste in Wanagama educational forest in Gunung Kidul regency, from 3 to 17 July 2010. It was followed by 20 participants consisting of 12 people from Timor Leste and 8 from Ministry of Forestry.
The opening ceremony was started with the signing of two documents; the establishment of joint committee on forestry between the Secretary General of Ministry of Forestry and Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Timor Leste and the Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Forestry regarding the provision of technical cooperation facility for the field of forestry in developing countries.
Dean of UGM Faculty of Forestry, Prof. Dr. Ir. Moh. Na'iem, said that Wanagama forest greatly contributes to the rehabilitation of forests in Indonesia, especially in eastern Indonesia. "The land condition from Central Java to the eastern regions of Indonesia is similar to that of Wanagama. So, if we can successfully grow the plants in Wanagama, we can also plant them in the eastern regions of Indonesia," said Na'iem in the opening of the training in Wanagama, Monday (5/7).
Na'iem emphasized that Wanagama forest also supports the Ministry of Forestry's program through research and seed breeding. Therefore, forest rehabilitation training program provides great benefit to the foresters. "Forestry is an applied science, without field practice, all of that are nonsense. Wanagama Forest is the result of collaboration with the surrounding communities," he said.
Head of the Ministry's Training Center, Helmi Basalama, said that the training objective is to follow up the previous MOU between Indonesian and Timor Leste Governments. "Besides to strengthen the relation between the two countries, it also reinforces Indonesia's commitment to improve forest resources in Timor Leste," he explained.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of Timor Leste, Florenzo Borges Fontes, said that this is the eight training program for Timor Leste forestry employees. "The total number of Timor Leste participants is 65," he said.