The third quarter of the year 2021 is still challenging for us, as the Covid-19 pandemic still has significant impacts on our program implementations. Many constraints are ahead of us. However, I choose to accept those constraints as opportunities.  Challenging opportunities. In fact, during this pandemic, SEAMEO BIOTROP has found its way to embrace new collaborations with many stakeholders. 

As one of collaboration program implementation, SEAMEO BIOTROP held a training of trainer for the FORCLIME's facilitators in Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan Province.  The training aimed to transfer knowledge on extracting essential oils and their derivative products and on utilizing non-wood forest products having economic value. In collaboration with FAO Indonesia and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia (KLHK), SEAMEO BIOTROP held a National Inception Workshop with the theme “Strengthening Capacities for Prevention, Control and Management of Invasive Alien Species (SMIAS) in Indonesia” to provide integrated information to all stakeholders who will be involved and related to the process of preparing and developing project documents submitted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).  The stakeholders consist of representatives from various government agencies, academia, private sectors, NGOs, and local community groups. SEAMEO BIOTROP also supported nine vocational schools partners in SEAMEO BIOTROP’s SMARTS-BE Program to participate in the 2021 SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award Competition. The SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award is an award program for schools launched by SEAMEO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT Japan) and the UNESCO Asia Pacific Regional Bureau for Education.  The SEAMEO-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Award aimed to promote best practices that support ESD in schools across Southeast Asia.

The online seminar on Environmental Leader Talks on Plastic War: Challenge and Solution and an International Workshop on Loss and Damage Concept were also organized to show our awareness on tropical biodiversity enrichment from mountain to ocean and climate risk mitigation effort. SEAMEO BIOTROP also held several virtual technical guidance events on agricultural derivative products to increase the added value of agricultural products by making puree from California lemon and by introducing the production methods of fruit powder drink by using a vacuum dryer based on GHP, on Tissue Culture for the Provision of Cottonii Seaweed Seeds; on Fumigation in the Perspective of Integrated Pest Storage Management; and on Aquaponic Urban Farming. SEAMEO BIOTROP also shared its expertise in the training course on Improving the Capacity of Provincial Validation Teams and Prospective KLHS Documents Creators. Other webinars were organized to share the Centre’s expertise to communities, such as Talk of Scientist on Entomology Practice and Pest Control in Controlling Food Safety and BIOTROP Leadership Management Program on Initiative  Improvement and Multitasking Jobs.  

Our Centre is also keen in updating its technologies to carry out its programs and activities, such as implementing nanophotometer technology, remote sensing and Geographic Information System.  These technologies are adopted in our laboratories by our scientists who are the front line of our Centre’s research activities.

I do believe that the programs and activities in SEAMEO BIOTROP are within the scope of directions from the SEAMEO Secretariat which was uttered during the 2021 SEAMEO Centre Directors Meeting, i.e., Reimagine the Future by improving education, science and culture for the Southeast Asian region.