IDNEWSNOW.COM, Jakarta – Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno ensured that Labuan Bajo would still be prepared to host for the upcoming G20 international meeting in 2022. This preparation was not interrupted by a request from the UNESCO Heritage Committee which asked the government to stop infrastructure projects in Komodo National Park and its surroundings.
“Labuan Bajo has been selected as a side event venue. What has been decided previously, decided at theCoordinating Ministry for Maritime & Investment Affairs, we must pay attention and make it happen,” said Sandiaga on Monday, August 3, 2021.
Previously, UNESCO have asked that infrastructure projects in Komodo National Park and a number of islands in Labuan Bajo be stopped because they have the potential to have an impact on outstanding universal value (OUV). The suspension is carried out until the government submits a revised environmental impact assessment (Amdal) which will be reviewed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Sandiaga said he was requesting the meeting documents or minutes of the UNESCO meeting. He wanted to see the details of UNESCO’s request to the Indonesian government, including the issue of the OUV assessment. Sandiaga will also discuss strategic plans and calculate investment losses if the project is suspended.
Furthermore, Sandiaga will coordinate with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to re-evaluate the issue of environmental impact analysis (Amdal). Sandiaga guarantees that the development of Labuan Bajo will prioritize the sustainability of the environmental ecosystem.
“In the end, the goal is to direct us to Komodo National Park being managed carefully so that biodiversity and ecosystems are not disturbed, but there will be preparation of a travel pattern that aims to develop the other side of Labuan Bajo as a super priority destination,” said Sandiaga Uno.
Read also: Tourism Minister Responds to UNESCO’s Komodo Park Concern
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