(Tree of Dipterocarpaceae Family, Illustration. Photo Doc.: Freepik)
Being an island of 1,575 square kilometres, Batam reservoirs hold a key role of being its residents’ sole source of freshwater. This signifies the need for surrounding conditions for the reservoirs, more specifically those that support the flow of adequate volume of rainwater into them.
To help create a conducive surrounding environment for optimum rainwater containment, BP Batam plants rare trees in several reservoirs’ water catchment areas as part of its 51st Anniversary celebration. The choice to plant endemic rare trees itself is to also contribute to the conservation efforts of the Dipterocarps, a plant family endemic to tropical regions.
Japanese Guests at Sei Ladi Forest
BP Batam’s Dipterocarps’ current conservation efforts are a product of collaboration with Japan’s Higashiyama Botanical Garden and Toyoake Kaki Co. Ltd., a Nagoya-based pot plant marketer in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. Akihiko Nagata, an advisor from Higashiyama Botanical Garden said, “This (Sei Ladi Forest) is an excellent place (for planting Dipterocarps), of course we intend to come back to Batam to plant trees again.”
(Japanese Delegation during Diptero Trees Planting in Sei Ladi Forest, Batam. Photo Doc.: BP Batam)
The tree sowing activities took place at two of Batam’s crucial reservoirs, the Duriangkang and Sei Ladi. Quality-wise, Sei Ladi Forest has been said to be one of the best locations for growing Dipterocarp trees, as Advisor Akihiko Nagata referred to above. Assistant Manager Sub Division Catchment Area, Dams, and Reservoir May Robi Firnanda who received the tree seeds from Japan’s delegation pointed out that Diptero trees planted can turn catchment areas into healthy forests.
In addition, the conservation’s success can also improve the reservoirs’ water quality. “The reservoir water’s sedimentation problem would be solved in a natural way. Their water quality will be better, drink-ready.”
(Assistant Manager Sub Division Catchment Area, Dams, and Reservoir May Robi Firnanda. Photo Doc.: BP Batam)
Symbolic Duriangkang
In Duriangkang reservoir, tree sowing activity was conducted in a more symbolic and celebratory manner involving BP Batam’s personnel, and was a collaboration with PT. TDK Epcos. Conducted on Saturday (22 October 2022), in addition to 100 Dipterocarp trees, 51 other Batam local endemic trees were sowed. Head Organiser and General Manager for Drinking Water Processing System Upstream Hadjad Widagdo said that BP Batam’s effort to plant Dipterocarp trees is an effort to conserve the endemic trees, as part of many countries’ endeavours to preserve the endangered tree family.
(General Manager for Drinking Water Processing System Upstream Hadjad Widagdo During Tree Sowing in Duriangkang, Saturday (22/10/2022. Photo Doc.: BP Batam)
“Imagine if the trees grow properly, they will become yet another green area in Batam, in addition to preserving catchment areas. This is of course aligning with BP Batam Chairman Muhammad Rudi’s vision to improve our environment conditions,” Sudirman Saad, BP Batam’s Deputy Chairman for Territorial and Investment Management, said in his Opening Remarks of the event.
(BP Batam’s Deputy Chairman for Territorial and Investment Management Sudirman Saad During Dipterocarpaceae Tree Planting in Duriangkang Forest. Photo Doc.: BP Batam)
Sudirman Saad also added that the tree sowing will continue to reach the symbolic number of 1,051 trees.
(BP Batam, Batam Pos, GenPI.co)