Enviro News Asia, Surabaya — Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) Moh Jumhur Hidayat has urged Indonesia’s academics and future professionals to place environmental sustainability at the core of national development.
Jumhur delivered the message during a public lecture titled “Building Knowledge, Caring for the Earth, and Preparing Indonesia’s Future” for thousands of newly admitted doctoral, master’s, subspecialty, specialty and professional students at Airlangga University (Unair) in Surabaya on August 6, 2026.
He emphasized that Indonesia should pursue economic growth that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient rather than focusing solely on higher economic growth.
“We do not want to simply become a country with high economic growth. We want to become a country with inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth, and we do not want to pass on development alone. We want to pass on a life worth living,” Jumhur said.
The minister highlighted climate change, forest degradation, water crises and pollution as major challenges requiring active involvement from the academic community. He encouraged postgraduate students not merely to criticize environmental problems but to contribute directly to developing practical and sustainable solutions.
He called on students to become a generation that is critical of environmental problems while also having the courage to propose and implement solutions.
According to Jumhur, environmental protection does not always have to wait for complex national policies. Ecological awareness should begin with everyday actions, including how people use energy, manage waste and interact with nature.
“Major changes always require people who are willing to start with themselves,” he said.
Jumhur also emphasized the strategic role of universities in safeguarding ecological sustainability. Higher education institutions, he said, should serve as platforms where scientific knowledge addresses real-world challenges, technology responds to environmental crises, and academic freedom is accompanied by a moral responsibility to protect the planet.
He stressed that future generations should inherit a healthy environment rather than degraded ecosystems.
“We do not want our children to inherit a damaged Earth. We want to ensure that they can still breathe clean air, access safe water and inherit a healthy natural environment,” Jumhur said.
Concluding his lecture, the minister urged students who will eventually take strategic roles across various sectors to consistently place environmental considerations at the foundation of development.
“Build knowledge with integrity. Use knowledge for humanity. Use power for the public interest. And use progress to care for the Earth,” he said.
KLH/BPLH reaffirmed that Indonesia’s future resilience, independence and sustainability depend on aligning academic progress with ecological responsibility and ensuring that environmental sustainability remains a fundamental pillar of national development. (*)
