Hard Work and Awareness to Manage Natural Resources in Bengkulu

Multiplication of Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu.          

As a common concern over global warming of the increasing temperature of the earth reaching 1,15⁰ in 2022, it is very relevant to have a discussion and sharing with topic of Energy and Environment: Responsible Consumption and Production with students who join Stube HEMAT in Bengkulu (Sunday, 20/11/2022). Related to problems in Bengkulu, a topic on 'Efficient Natural Resource Management in the city of Bengkulu' was chosen as a sub-theme with Iman Kristina Halawa, M.Th, a lecturer at the Arastamar Bengkulu Theological College (STTAB) as the resource person.

By collecting various questions that swirl in the participants’ minds related to the topic and sub-theme above, Iman Kristina explored their curiosity about the topic. Their questions included: 1) How far is the government's role in efficient natural resource management? 2) What are the causes of landslides and floods that occurred in Bengkulu? 3) Why is the government blamed for every loss due to a disaster – is it all government's fault? 4) How is the strategy dealing with floods in Bengkulu? 5) Roads were flooded even in low-intensity rain. This situation impacts the community. Who should be responsible for it, the government or the residents?

Departing from these questions, she tried to untangle the problems. Good management of natural resources will bring a good impact on the sustainability of the life and growth of the community economy. One effort is managing natural resources by maintaining forest sustainability and reforesting the bare forests due to illegal logging. Environmental problems occur as a result of irresponsible human activity itself. The use of natural resources will lead to changes in the ecosystem and the sustainability of the natural resources themselves.

Utilization of natural resources that exceeds the carrying capacity of the land and without regard to environmental sustainability will trigger erosion and landslides, which frequently happen recently and causes silting of rivers and disruption of the hydrological system of the Watershed (DAS).

Forest burning impacts to land degradation, destroys animal habitats, reduces biodiversity, eliminates soil fertility, damages the hydrological cycle, and causes global warming. The practice of shifting field increases the threat of forest destruction because people neglect the correct rules to preserve forests and to carry out replanting in the fields (Marison Guciano, 2009).

The explanation continued during the discussion regarding the condition of the forest which was starting to be damaged, especially in Bengkulu. This condition is very concerning because it affects climate change. One of the consequences of the current climate change is more frequently raining in Bengkulu which lead to landslides, while the floods damage public facilities, and residents' houses and disrupt economic growth. It needs hard work and awareness of the government and residents to manage natural resources efficiently for  human to survive. ***