Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Environment Ministry has called on the public to take practical steps to protect the country’s biodiversity, warning that habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and other environmental pressures require action beyond government-led conservation programmes.
The call was made to mark National Flora and Fauna Love Day 2026 on Nov. 5, under the theme “From Love to Action: Working Together to Conserve Indonesia’s Biodiversity.”
Environment Minister and Environmental Control Agency (BPLH) Head Moh Jumhur Hidayat said public awareness must translate into concrete efforts involving families, communities, businesses, academics and regional governments.
He said the commemoration offered an opportunity to turn global commitments made following the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) into action at the national and local levels.
“Protecting species, safeguarding habitats and encouraging active public participation must be part of a shared effort to conserve Indonesia’s biodiversity,” Jumhur said.
The campaign comes as countries face what the government describes as a triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Indonesia, one of the world’s megadiverse countries, faces mounting pressure on natural habitats and persistent threats from illegal wildlife trade.
To support public education, the ministry introduced two campaign mascots, TORU and NUR, representing the connection between wildlife, plants and their habitats.
TORU is inspired by the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), an Indonesian endemic primate classified as Critically Endangered that inhabits the Batang Toru Ecosystem in North Sumatra.
NUR represents the flowering sampinur tree (Dacrycarpus imbricatus), a forest species that reflects the importance of plant diversity in supporting wildlife and ecosystem health.
The ministry said the mascots are intended to highlight that protecting wildlife requires more than safeguarding individual species. Their habitats, food sources and wider ecosystems must also be conserved.
The ministry is also promoting the 2026 Biodiversity Love Movement through three practical steps: “Know Biodiversity,” “Love Biodiversity” and “Act for Biodiversity.”
The first encourages people to learn about Indonesia’s native plants and animals and understand their role in maintaining ecological balance. The second promotes everyday environmental care, including planting and maintaining greenery around homes.
The third calls for direct action, such as avoiding the purchase of wild animals captured from their natural habitats, planting native trees and reporting environmental destruction.
The campaign aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, and Indonesia’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025–2045.
The ministry urged the public to make biodiversity protection part of everyday life, stressing that conserving natural habitats and species is essential to safeguarding Indonesia’s environmental future. (*)
