Indonesia, Norway Boost Cooperation on Way Kambas Conservation

RRI.CO.ID, Lampung – Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia, Kaja Glomm, visited Way Kambas National Park (TNWK), Lampung, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, to review efforts to protect the area, including forest and land fire control, mitigation of negative human-Sumatran elephant interactions, and Sumatran rhino conservation. Raja Juli emphasized the importance of protecting Way Kambas as an integrated landscape by strengthening habitat protection while creating a safer living environment for wildlife and communities living around the park.

During the visit, the Forestry Minister reviewed forest and land fire control efforts in Way Kambas National Park, which has experienced several fire incidents in recent weeks. Strengthening prevention measures, personnel preparedness, water availability, as well as firefighting facilities and equipment were among the issues reviewed.

The delegation then inspected the readiness of barrier infrastructure as part of efforts to mitigate negative interactions between Sumatran elephants and local communities. Raja Juli was accompanied by Brigadier General TNI Sriyanto, Chair of the Joint Committee for the Mitigation and Management of Negative Sumatran Elephant Interactions, who explained the progress of the construction and mitigation system on the ground.

The barriers are designed not merely as physical boundaries, but as part of an integrated mitigation system to reduce the risk of elephants leaving the conservation area and entering settlements or community farmland.

During the visit, Raja Juli also observed the condition of domesticated elephants that have been supporting management and mitigation activities in Way Kambas. He explained to Kaja Glomm that the elephants’ adaptation process is being carried out gradually as barrier infrastructure and the park’s security system become more comprehensive.

Kaja Glomm then asked about the direction of the management approach, saying, “That’s the ambition, to unchain?” Raja Juli replied, “Yes.”

Raja Juli said efforts to reduce the use of chains on domesticated elephants would be carried out gradually, taking into account infrastructure readiness, the behavior and adaptation of each individual elephant, as well as the security system in the area.

The visit highlighted the need for an integrated approach to conservation in Way Kambas, with forest and land fire control helping protect habitats, human-elephant conflict mitigation creating a safer living environment, and the use of science and technology supporting wildlife conservation efforts.