UNAIR NEWS – To support Universitas Airlangga as a World-Class University and strengthen the branding of Banyuwangi School of Health Science and Natural Science (SIKIA) on an international scale, SIKIA held a Multicultural Program Tour De Essential Areas of Pang-Pang Bay Animal Aquatic and Terrestrial Monitoring. The international students had a tour around ‘Bumi Blambangan’. On the first and second day, they explored the cities and the coast and hiked the mountain on the third day.
Returning Indonesia’s glory as the lungs of the world
Returning Indonesia’s glory as the lungs of the world
The Chief Executive, Suciyono S St Pi MP P invited international inbound students from the Heilbronn University Germany to participate in the international Community Service program by planting mangroves in the Pang-Pang Bay on the second day, Saturday (30/9/2022). The program aims to restore Indonesia’s role as the lungs of the world through the essential economic zones (KEE) development established by East Java Provincial Government.
“One of the goals is to return Indonesia’s role as the lungs of the world due to the massive deforestation in the heart of the island. Therefore, mangrove becomes an alternative choice for the terrestrial world,” he said to UNAIR NEWS on Sunday, October 2, 2022, at the Ijen Geopark.
Pang-Pang Bay once encountered ecosystem damage in 1980 due to land-use change. In 1994, the local community restored the damaged area. It has an area of 500 ha and 13 species of fauna, making it high potential for advanced development.
Implementation of sustainable development of terrestrial area
The program is an implementation of adaptive and appropriate environmental development. It supports the realization of SDGs point 13 and 14 regarding climate change and life below water in the terrestrial area, respectively. The Aquaculture lecturer introduced the types of plantable mangroves. The types of mangroves must be adapted to the texture and soil condition.
“At Pang-Pang Bay, we introduce various kinds of mangrove and fauna, like the flamingo java, and many more,” he said.
Hiking Ijen Mountain
The international students also hiked the Ijen Mountain from the bay on Sunday, October 2, 2022. As one of the most exquisite geopark in Indonesia with the blue fire around the crater, Ijen Mountain offers the best tourism spot in Bumi Blambangan. They started the hike at 03.30 am and reached the top to see the charm of the rising sun in the land of Sunrise of Java.
The event ended with lunch together at the Sarine Café, Licin, with authentic Banyuwangi cuisines and mocktails made by the PPK ORMAWA SIKIA.
With the success of the event in collaboration with Universitas Dhayana Pura (UNDHIRA), Suciyono hoped that the environmental development-based programs would grow consistently beyond the tourism field.
“Environmental sustainability must be developed massively and collaborate with multiple global universities in the future,” he ended.
Author: azhar burhanuddin
Editor: Feri Fenoria
