Ujung Kulon National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Marine Site, Encompasses the Krakatoa Reserve, Outlying Islands and Rain Forests
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**** InternationalHerald Tribune | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT | Friday,February13, 2009 5 Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park, a Unesco World Heritage marine site, encompasses the Krakatoa reserve, outlying islands and rain forests. The site must balance growing tourism and conservation A spotted hawkfish in front of a sea anemone. SPOTLIGHT | Indonesia’s first World Heritage site Ujung Kulon National Park: A remote site in Java prepared for tourists, but the threat was within The World Heritage Fund In 1972, when Unesco adopted the lthough Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon Na- Paris-based organization calls aPublic Use Says Unesco’s Program Specialist Marc Notes Patry: ‘‘It can happen that the park Barrier Reef Reserve System, and this World Heritage Convention to tional Park faces no major threat Plan. This helps identify exactly what the site Patry: ‘‘Though this was only the beginning, management, which is semiautonomous in helped put a stop to new buildings that protect the world’s natural and A today, Unesco has worked to antici- can accommodate —hotels, restaurants or we thought it was a good time to act —early the way it works, may receive, let’s say, would have destroyed part of that Carib- TUASON cultural patrimony, it also set up a pate future problems in this World Heritage roads —based on what kind of people will —toput together this kind of plan and help some incentives to bend the rules, to suit bean site. special World Heritage Fund to help site. Located on the southwestern tip of be coming to use the site, and for what pur- implement it, before things got out of hand. some private investor who would like to put Both examples show how Unesco relies SCOTT governments with the nomination of Java, Ujung Kulon (‘‘West Point’’) first re- poses. This Public Use Plan shows the World We helped put together a Public Use Plan for a particular infrastructure project on a par- heavily on local or volunteer participation be- future World Heritage sites and the ceived protection in 1910, when it was Heritage Centre at its most proactive. Ujung Kulon that we thought was one of our ticular place.’’ Unesco heard about it and cause it cannot monitor all sites on its own. upkeep of existing sites. Funds are made a hunting preserve. Eleven years later, Unesco does not try to exclude any type better jobs there.’’ alerted the Indonesian authorities. ‘‘There are over 850 World Heritage sites,’’ also used for training programs, it was upgraded to a natural monument and of development within a World Heritage site, When a serious threat came to the site, This alert made a difference because says Patry. ‘‘And the staff of the World Her- educational activities, technical wildlife reserve, and by 1980 it had become provided the values for which the site was however, it came not from tourists, but from sites like Ujung Kulon are often remote, itage Centre is limited —we may have 10 to assistance, promotional activities one of the first five national parks in Indone- inscribed on the World within. ‘‘Unfortunately,’’ communications difficult and authorities 15 people working on these kinds of issues and emergency aid. Most of the sia. In 1991, it became the nation’s first Un- Heritage List are not The Public Use Plan shows Patry recalls, ‘‘we soon sometimes unaware of what’s going on in here. There is no way we can keep track of funding comes from compulsory esco World Heritage site. threatened. ‘‘The Public noted —thanks to infor- certain parts of the park. Adds Patry, all that’s going on in each site. We rely tre- contributions from states that have The protected area includes one of Use Plan studied the the World Heritage Centre mation we received from ‘‘Thanks to this communication between Un- mendously on the support and help from signed the Convention, but Unesco Java’s last rain forests, several offshore is- links between biodiversi- at its most proactive tourists —that the park esco, the tourists at the site and the nation- anybody who’s out there.’’ This assistance accepts voluntary donations as lands and a rich coral-reef ecosystem. Its ty conservation and sus- director himself had au- al authorities —who were 100 percent co- can come from tourists, local communities, well. The World Heritage Fund World Heritage status helps safeguard nu- tainable tourism in Ujung Kulon,’’ says Agus thorized a hotel concession on the lands operative —this concession was conservation organizations working at the receives about $4 million each year, merous endangered plants and animals, of Priambudi, who became head of the Ujung that had been earmarked as the most sen- canceled.’’ The previous site manager is, of sites or governments that have been led to to cover more than 850 sites which the most threatened is the Javan Kulon National Park Agency (UKNPA) last sitive on the site.’’ course, gone. suspect that something untoward is going worldwide. To make a contribution, rhinoceros. Ujung Kulon also encompasses year. The plan focused on how to meet the Explains Priambudi: ‘‘In 2004, a tourist Unesco had similar input from the public on. They all can report to Unesco. It’s an on- visit http://whc.unesco.org the natural reserve of Krakatoa, where the needs of new tourists and called for con- guide was interested in managing surfing ac- at another World Heritage site, the Belize going campaign, Patry says. famous volcano is found; the reserve be- sultation with park authorities and the com- tivities on Panaitan Island. This was wel- came part of the park in 1958. munity to identify its most sensitive areas. comed by the UKNPA. An agreement, like a Ujung Kulon is apopular destination for At the time of the plan’s drafting, Ujung memorandum of understanding, was signed surfers, and some years ago it faced grow- Kulon National Park was relatively un- between the head of the park and the tour- ing pressure for housing and hotel develop- touched, but problems were looming on the ism agency. This agreement was not a fully ments to accommodate these tourists. Be- horizon as demand grew for atourism infra- legal concession for the tourism agency in fore the government of Indonesia decided to structure. As the number of visitors in- managing the activity in the field. But the build any amenities for them, however, it creased, the lack of hotels and restaurants park management allowed the agency to worked with Unesco to develop what the for them was becoming more sorely felt. build several facilities on the island.’’ EXPLORING | Climbing and diving Krakatoa volcano, coral reefs and the rare rhinoceros major attraction in Ujung Kulon is the abound, as do angelfish, 15 species of but- Krakatoa (or Krakatau) volcano. One terfly fish and four species of triggerfish. A of hundreds in the Pacific ‘‘Ring of Travelers can also go scuba diving at the Fire,’’ Krakatau is well known for its eruption reef of Batu Pitak, near Lagon Butun. Ujung in 1883, which killed 36,000 people, and for Kulon’s park director, Agus Priambudi, re- Hollywood’s immortalization of this event in commends Panaitan Island for surfing, the 1969 film, ‘‘Krakatoa, East of Java.’’ The swimming and snorkeling. Diving, according eruption was recorded as the world’s to the Ujungkulon Tour Web site, is not re- biggest explosion at the time. Heard 350 commended for beginners. Panaitan also miles (560 kilometers) away, in Australia boasts Hindu relics from the first century and the Philippines, it created atsunami 40 A.D., located at the Ganesha archaeological meters (130 feet) high that crashed ashore site, which sits on top of Mount Raksa. at 60 miles per hour, flattening hundreds of Forest walks and canoe river trips bring towns and villages. travelers into the rain forest, where they can The Krakatau islands are of scientific in- TUASON spot crocodiles, monkeys and perhaps the terest because they provide examples of rare Javan rhinoceros, an endangered spe- modern island volcanic activity. Like other SCOTT cies —only about 60 of them are left in the recent eruptions, such as that of Mount St. Feathered star: An invertebrate in Ujung Kulon. world, with 40 to 50 of these in Ujung Kulon. Helens in Washington state in 1980, Since its establishment as a protected area, Krakatau illustrates anatural phenomenon can combine swimming, snorkeling and ani- much has been done in Ujung Kulon to study —what scientists call recolonization. The mal-watching. Other draws in Ujung Kulon in- the rhino population. The International Rhino eruption destroyed all existing vegetation, clude Peucang Island and its white beaches, Foundation says acensus is taken every but within 14 years, 130 species of birds blue waters and coral reef. Snorkelers can few years. The most recent one, notes Pri- and insects, as well as 60 species of plants, swim the shallow waters in the reefs close ambudi, was carried out last year by 100 had returned to thrive there. to shore, or venture out to deeper waters in people, including tourists. Adds Priambudi: Visitors can approach the volcano by the reefs between the island and mainland. ‘‘We are trying to get more information by boat and then climb its heights. Three-day These reefs offer a wide variety of fish; bar- setting up 20 video cameras in places be- tours also visit outlying islands, so travelers racuda, sailfish, tuna, skipjack and sharks lieved to be rhino niches.’’ [ From watch auction to green initiatives, Jaeger-LeCoultre champions environmental issues On Feb. 16, the Swiss luxury Engraved ‘‘Proto Number 1,’’ it will go brand and was done naturally. We felt watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre will to the auction winner; proceeds will be it was something we should be doing.’’ begin an online auction on its Web site donated to the World Heritage Centre In addition, specially designated (www.jaeger-lecoultre.com) of a to help protect the world’s outstanding ‘‘Ecogeste’’ employees, or green prototype of its new watch, the marine sites.