KBRN, Jakarta: In response to severe environmental degradation, shrinking forest cover, and threats to species like the Javan eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) on Central Java's Mount Muria, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has begun an intensive study through a study conducted by the Mount Muria Integrated Team involving various ministries to initiate ecological rescue.

Hendra Gunawan, Principal Expert Researcher for biodiversity conservation at BRIN, revealed the findings of the integrated team he leads in an exclusive interview at KST Soekarno, Cibinong, Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

“The hope of the Central Java community, especially in the Muria area, to have a Grand Forest Park (TAHURA) as a conservation fortress and green economic center, will soon be realized. This long-echoed dream will soon be verified and validated by the Integrated Team from the Ministry of Forestry and BRIN, which has been in the field since November 10, 2025,” Hendra said, as quoted on BRIN's official website.

He explained that the team's task is to conduct scientific verification and validation of a proposal to change the function of approximately 10,436 hectares of forest area in Jepara, Kudus, and Pati into a Grand Forest Park (TAHURA).

Hendra expressed belief that this change in status is a strategic step to stop the rate of deforestation, restore hydrological functions, and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, especially concerning the Javan leopard (Panthera pardus melas).

“Satellite data from 2024 shows that only 7,287 hectares of original forest cover remain in the Muria area. The rest has been degraded into shrubs and agricultural land,” he revealed.

Hendra said that this damage directly affects seven priority river basin sub-areas (DAS), triggering clean water crises in the dry season and flash floods during the rainy season.

Hendra further explained that the ecological pressure also threatens the survival of the Javan leopard. “Our research shows that 94% of the local extinction of this species occurs in production forests, with the remaining population confined to several increasingly fragmented habitat pockets. Mount Muria is one of its last fortresses,” said Hendra, who has studied this issue for over 35 years.

He is confident that through the TAHURA approach, where ecological recovery is integrated with community empowerment schemes like ecotourism, conservation partnerships, and sustainable utilization of non-timber forest products, the results of this integrated team study will form the basis for national policy recommendations aimed at preserving the Muria ecosystem's sustainability.

“Muria is not just a forest, it is not merely a mountain. It is a node of life that affects water, food, economy, and the preservation of Central Java's fauna. The assessment by the integrated team will be the determining factor whether Muria will rise as an example of ecological harmony and green economy, or sink deeper into a prolonged crisis,” he concluded.

Now, Muria’s fate rests in the hands of the BRIN-led Integrated Team. Their study's results will form the foundation for a recommendation to determine whether this area will indeed become a TAHURA. If realized, Muria will not only be restored but will also become a national model of how research, policy, and community can work together to save the habitat of key species on Java Island. ***