Environmental champion: Vice President Jusuf Kalla (right) hands over the Kalpataru trophy to Yohanes Wambrauw during the national commemoration of World Environment Day in Siak Sri Indrapura, Siak, Riau, on Friday. Yohanes of Indailon village, Biak Numfor, Papua, received the award for his environmental conservation efforts.(Antara/Rony Muharrman)The government on Friday celebrated World Environment Day (WED) by officially opening Zamrud National Park in Siak regency, Riau. The park aims to conserve the remaining forest and ecosystem against industry in the region, home to nearly 3 million hectares of palm oil and timber plantations for pulp and paper companies.

The decision of the Environment and Forestry Ministry to upgrade the status of the 31,000-ha peatland forest, which has two lakes inhabited by endangered species such as gold arowanas, from a wildlife reservation to a nat...