| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Dr Emil Salim is a leading voice on environmental issues in his native Indonesia and abroad.
Formerly Indonesia’s minister of the environment, the economist and professor is currently a member of many high-level boards on population, health and conservation for such organisations as the United Nations, the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development and the World Health Organisation. He is also chairman of the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation and heads the country’s Eco-labeling Institute, a group which ensures the ecological soundness of forestry products.
Dr Salim’s single-minded devotion to conservation can be traced to his days as a young man living on the densely forested island of Sumatra. It was here that he became acutely aware of Indonesia’s bounty of rich, natural resources – and the threat they were under from indiscriminate development. "I was determined to show that economic development could take place without destroying resources," says Salim. His life-long dedication to sustainable development was born.
Through his tireless work to reconcile human progress and the natural world, Dr Salim has helped conserve his country’s natural heritage for future generations. "It is each generation’s responsibility to maintain the environment for those who follow," he asserts. "This is often ignored in the developing world where natural resources are abused. We must work to reverse this situation." |
|
|
|
