Indonesia boasts a rich biodiversity, earning it the nickname “mega-diversity country.” Biodiversity refers to the variety of living resources at the ecosystem, species, and genetic levels. This rich biodiversity is maintained through diverse landscapes that serve as natural habitats for biodiversity. However, recent climate change has impacted biodiversity conservation efforts.

Biology experts from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), namely Dr. Nurul L. Winarni, Dr. Luthfiralda Sjahfirdi, M.Biomed., and Dr. Windri Handayani, M.Sc., also shared their views on the impact of climate change on biodiversity conservation in Indonesia, through a webinar entitled “Climate Change and Its Impact on Biodiversity Conservation in Indonesia”, which was held by the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) for Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (K3L), University of Indonesia (UI), on August 22-23, 2023. The three were invited as keynote speakers at the event.

Environmental biology and wildlife conservation expert Dr. Luthfiralda said that the conservation carried out is an effort to preserve flora and fauna which aims to maintain the existence of animal and plant populations in an ecosystem.

“These conservation efforts are implemented in areas with unique characteristics, such as being inhabited by rare and endemic species, or those threatened with extinction, or those with significant potential for use if preserved,” said Dr. Luthfiralda in her presentation.

Furthermore, regarding the methods that can be used, Dr. Luthfiralda explained that there are two methods of natural resource conservation, namely in-situ and ex-situ methods. In-situ conservation is a flora/fauna conservation activity carried out within the original habitat area, such as nature reserves (nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries) or nature conservation areas (national parks, forest parks, and nature tourism parks). Meanwhile, ex-situ conservation is a flora/fauna conservation activity carried out outside the area, for example botanical gardens, zoos, or safari parks.

According to Dr. Windri, Indonesia as one of the regions with the highest level of biodiversity in the world plays an important role in preserving various types of endangered flora, especially if the flora is endemic and difficult to find in other regions.

“There are at least two biodiversity values found in flora: tangible values (medicine, agriculture, ecotourism) and intangible values (climate regulation, preventing soil erosion, providing clean water). Therefore, the utilization of flora in Indonesia must be carried out by prioritizing conservation principles to ensure the sustainability of commercialized flora species,” said Dr. Windri, an expert in plant ecophysiology and environmental metabolomics.

Dr. Windri added that there are two key strategies to deal with climate change, namely mitigation to reduce the rate of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, namely helping nature and human communities adapt to climate change that has already occurred.

Conservation is not just about flora; it’s also necessary to maintain the sustainability of fauna. Dr. Nurul observed that climate change has a significant impact on flora and fauna biodiversity. Climate change threatens habitat loss, altered plant and animal distribution, altered abundance, and altered phenology (breeding, migration, and so on).

The biodiversity conservation expert gave an example of the impact of deforestation. Deforestation causes changes in rainfall and increases the likelihood of forest fires. This is because the plants that protect the forest from the sun’s heat are lost, resulting in drought. If a forest experiences a severe fire, various species of fauna will lose their habitat, forcing them to migrate elsewhere.

“The massive distribution of plant and animal species has also changed the characteristics of biomes and the structure and function of ecosystems, thus changing the supply of oxygen, clean water, food, medicine, and protection against disasters,” said Dr. Nurul.

The relationship between climate change and all aspects of human needs is closely linked to the points in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Climate Action, outlined in point 13 of the SDGs, impacts other SDGs, including point 2, Zero Hunger, point 3, Good Health and Well-Being, point 6, Clean Water and Sanitation, point 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, point 14, Life Below Water, and point 15, Life on Land.