Lake Limboto To Be Center Of WMBD 2017 Event

JAKARTA, April 5 (April) - Lake Limboto in the Indonesian province of Gorontalo on Sulawesi Island will again become the center of World Migratory Bird Day 2017 (WMBD 2017) activities as it did last year. An observer of the biodiversity community, the Gorontalo Biodiversity Forum (Biota), has chosen Lake Limboto as the center of WMBD 2017 activities, because the lake is a safe haven for migratory birds as it has been visited by long-distance birds from around the world. Biota has registered itself as one of the participants to commemorate the World Migratory Bird Day this year to shed light on the illegal hunting of migratory birds at Lake Limboto. Initiated in 2006, WMBD is an annual awareness-raising campaign, which highlights the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. Every year, people around the world, including the Gorontalo Biodiversity Forum, take action and organize public events such as bird festivals, education programs, exhibitions, and bird-watching excursions to celebrate WMBD. All these activities can also be undertaken at any time of the year, because different countries or regions observe the peak of migrations at different times but the main day for the international celebrations is on May 10. Under the 2017 theme "Their Future is our Future," WMBD will throw light on the topic of "Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People." WMBD 2017 will highlight the interdependence of people and nature, and more especially people and migratory animals - in particular birds, as they share the same planet and thus the same limited resources. The 2017 campaign will aim at raising awareness on the need for sustainable management of natural resources and demonstrating that conservation of birds is also crucial for the future of mankind. World Migratory Bird Day is a two-day event annually held in the second weekend of May to highlight the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats. The United Nations is one of the many organizations that support this global awareness campaign. Hence, Biota has officially signed up for its participation in the WMBD 2017 to carry out some activities such as bird watching with school students and residents around Lake Limboto, campaign visits to schools, and photo exhibition of migratory birds. Biota spokesman Rosyid Azhar remarked in Gorontalo on Sunday that the presence of numerous species of migratory birds around Lake Limboto should continue to receive attention from all circles, especially the local residents and the government. Azhar noted that the Gorontalo Biodiversity Forum in recent years has aggressively campaigned for bird conservation around Lake Limboto, whose condition is in a critical state. "Raising voice for the protection of migratory birds is one of our efforts to save Lake Limboto, the largest in Gorontalo, which is now in critical condition from an environmental standpoint because of silting," Azhar noted. Therefore, it is necessary to spread awareness in the society and across the world on the importance of Lake Limboto as a temporary habitat for migratory birds. In the meantime, Iwan Hunowu, an observer of biodiversity of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Gorontalo, has invited the society and the government in an effort to save Lake Limboto ecosystem and its role as a safe haven for migratory birds. A media campaign, bird watching, workshops to spread awareness, and an international video competition on bird migration are some of the events held to mark World Migratory Bird Day. Based on observation, Gorontalo Biodiversity Forum has identified some 35 species of migratory birds visiting Lake Limboto. Most of the long-distance visitors belonged to the species of shorebirds such as the Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva), pin-tailed snipes or pintail snipes (Gallinago stenura), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola), marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), and sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata). Roger Standen from the Australasian Wader Study Group has confirmed that the birds had migrated from Victoria, Australia, and had traveled a distance of 4,795 kilometers across the ocean to reach Lake Limboto. Bird migrations at Lake Limboto peak during the period between Aug and Nov. However, the very survival of the lake is threatened as it is gradually getting shallower due to constant sedimentation, increase in the population of water hyacinths, and large number of houses being built along the banks of the lake. Hence, efforts are being made to restore the lake to its former glory and prevent it from running dry. According to the environment and forestry minister, knowledge of locals in Gorontalo must be revived as one of the necessary measures for restoring the condition of the lake. Conservation efforts in the area, including restoring the condition of the lake, must consider other dimensions to the problem and solution, such as taking into account the values of the nobility in society. The environment and forestry minister also highlighted the decline in the quality of water in the lake and promised to step up efforts to conserve and restore the lake. Lake Limboto is one of the most popular tourist spots in Gorontalo, but it is being threatened by pollution and environmental problems, and so prompt measures for preservations are underway. Without these efforts, the lake, also a habitat for the flora and fauna in the province, will eventually dry out completely. The locals have been called on to lend their complete support to the revitalization initiative, which is in their own interests and for their welfare. The Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) has coordinated efforts to restore and revitalize the lake in cooperation with the government of Gorontalo to synergize the various programs associated with the preservation of the lake. The coordination effort also involved the Department of Public Works of Gorontalo Province, the Lake Limboto Revitalization Team, and the Board of Watershed Management.