At present, there are 10 catchment areas or DAS along the Indonesia-Timor Leste border."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Timor Leste have agreed to cooperate in the management of catchment areas (DAS) along the two countries border.

The agreement was reached at during a meeting between the Indonesias Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya Bakar and Timor Lestes Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Estanislau Aleixo da Silva on Monday.

"The two countries have initiated an inter-country catchment area management plan (RPDAS). At present, there are 10 catchment areas or DAS along the Indonesia-Timor Leste border," Bakar said.

In 2015, the RPDAS formulation program will be started with the collection of data and information being carried out at DAS Talua, DAS Ekat and DAS Babulu.

Minister Bakar said some of the DAS had an upstream in Indonesia and a downstream in Timor Leste and vice versa.

At present, the condition of around 40 percent of the DAS was poor and needed to be rehabilitated.

"Besides DAS management, we also agreed to conduct a joint patrol to anticipate any illegal trading of wood, wild plants and animals," she said.

Minister Aleixo da Silva said forestry development would be one of the sectors that would be prioritized by the Timor Leste government.

This was related to efforts aimed at minimizing the impact of climate change and global warming, he said.

Besides cooperation in DAS management, the Timor Leste minister also wished to acquire knowledge about the development of botanical gardens and safari parks from Indonesia.

Minister da Silva is also scheduled to visit the Bogor Botanical Garden in West Java and the Center of International Forestry Research (CIFOR) -- a human resource training and education center, and research and development and innovation agency of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the city.

Minister Bakar said students from Timor Leste could learn forestry science at the Forestry Senior Vocational Schools (SMKK) in Indonesia.

About 89 alumni of SMKK (used to be SKMA) are now working in the Timor Leste forestry working unit, including one who has become a Director General and another who is a Ministers expert staffer.

"It is time for Indonesia to help and not only to receive help," Bakar said.

She said number of SMKKs were ready to receive students from Timor Leste in 2016.

Besides providing forestry vocational education, the Ministry of Forestry and Environment had also provided training during various technical fields for more than 110 people.

The Forestry Education and training center in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, is also willing to continue its training program for participants from Timor Leste.

(Reporting by Rz. Subagyo/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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