T

wenty-three governors, regents and mayors have signed a declaration demanding a legal basis for the management of regional botanical parks across Indonesia.

The Bedugul Pact was signed Wednesday on the sidelines of a scientific discussion to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bedugul Eka Karya Botanical Park in Tabanan regency, Bali.

Among the signatories were the governors of Central Java, South Sulawesi, West Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara and Jambi.

The declaration was also signed by the Indonesian Institute for the Sciences (LIPI) chairman, Umar Anggara Jenie, and a representative from the Public Works Ministry.

The declaration contains strong commitments from regional heads to accelerate the development of botanical gardens across the country.

"It requires strong political will from both the central and regional governments to develop and manage botanical gardens in their respective areas," said Aang Hamid Suganda, the regent of Kuningan, West Java, when reading out the declaration.

He added the development and management of botanical gardens required a clear legal basis.

Currently, the management of regional botanical gardens is regulated under Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 3/2003 on the management of botanical gardens, the development of state palace infrastructure and conservation of cultural heritage.

The instruction has become a temporary legal umbrella for the management of 20 regional botanical gardens across Indonesia, and is set to expire later this year.

The operational costs for botanical gardens are covered by the state budget.

"We fear the ending of the Inpres will hamper the operation and management of the 20 botanical gardens," Aang said.

LIPI's Umar said a more permanent regulation was badly needed to ensure the continued existence of botanical gardens in the country.

"Botanical gardens play a very significant role in preserving the richness of the country's biodiversity," he said.

"They are home to endangered plant species that must be managed properly, with an adequate budget."

To date, funding has been the major obstacle for operators of botanical gardens seeking to expand and maintain their collections, and renovate the gardens.

"There is still a lack of commitment on the part of regional administrations to allocate funds to support the operation of gardens in their jurisdictions," Umar said.

Of the 21 botanical gardens across the country, four are managed by LIPI, 16 by regional administrations, and one by a private company.

Nyoman Lugrayasa, head of the Bedugul garden, claimed the Bali provincial administration had paid a little attention to the development of botanical gardens in the Bedugul resort area, one of the island's more popular tourist destinations.

The Bedugul garden is of great importance for scientists, and an attractive place for visitors, he added.

"We don't receive assistance from the Bali administration," he said.