How APFORGIS is laying the groundwork for future conservation efforts

Photo: Dr. Vivi Yuskianti

APFORGIS is a regional project that produces up-to-date information on the distributions of valuable Asian tree species and threats to them, and guidance for developing conservation strategies that help maintain the genetic diversity and adaptive capacity of the species.

We spoke with Doctor Vivi Yuskianti about forest conservation in Indonesia and about her hopes for the future of APFORGIS. Doctor Yuskianti has been working as a researcher in the Center for Forest Biotechnology and Tree Improvement (CFBTI) under the Forest Research Development and Innovation Agency (FORDIA) in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Indonesia since 2001. She is the Indonesian Focal Point for APFORGEN.

What are some challenges that Indonesia is facing when it comes to tree species conservation?

VY: First, there is not a national database for tree species in Indonesia. Existing data on tree species is dispersed among various organizations and individuals. A national database could be used to collect information about species, such as its name (local and scientific), geographic location, and research status. This information could be used to support conservation effort or further utilization of these tree species in the future.

Second, coordination and collaboration between various research institutions in Indonesia is weak. For example, a list of the priority of plants that must be protected has been issued by the government, but because various research institutions under different ministries or organizations, often research programs run on their own.

Third, tree conservation requires long-term efforts. The benefits of conservation cannot be seen in a short period of time. It often takes years for a tree species to benefit from conservation activities.

The last challenge is limited continuous funding support from the government. Budget cuts occur sometimes, when the government has other priorities.  Support from international funds might become one of the solutions to the problem.

What are hopes do you have for the future of APFORGIS?

VY: APFORGIS is a joint research projects that aims to develop a database of important tree species in the Asia Pacific region. This database will play an important role in making information available about those tree species.

I hope that APFORGIS can act as a pilot project for the development of databases on valuable tree species and that the approach taken by APFORGIS can be modeled and used as a basis for making national databases for each APFORGEN member country. I also hope for continuous APFORGIS support for conservation training.

Read more about what APFORGIS is doing to support the conservation and restoration of socio-economically important, native Asian tree species. 

 

About us

APFORGEN is a regional programme and network with a holistic approach to the conservation and management of the Forest Genetic Resources (FGR) in the Asia-Pacific region

OUR CONTACTS

APFORGEN Secretariat
c/o Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry
XiangShan Road, Dongxiaofu No.1, Haidian district, 
Beijing, People's Republic of China