VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A foreign tourist takes pictures of a paddy field in Tabanan, Bali. The paddy field has been managed as a tourist destination after Subak, the irrigation system for paddy fields on Bali, has been recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. ANTARA/Nyoman Budhiana/ed/pd/13

Tabanan District in Bali Province has vowed to boost its ecotourism sector by developing a tourist village based on the Green Development Integrated Farming Tourism concept, the district's head, Ni Putu Eka Wiryastuti, stated.

"This is aimed at preserving the environment to enhance green development based on agriculture as the essence of Tabanan District," Wiryastuti noted in a statement in Tabanan, Bali, on Thursday.

The district head made her statement at a virtual discussion on sustainable development organized by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Institute of Public Administration (LAN) on July 22.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong and Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini were present at the discussion.

"We made policies, from the upstream to the downstream sector, which will protect and empower farmers. We prioritize our farmers' products, and we open the market for their produce," she remarked, adding that the future lies in the hands of those investing in sustainable businesses.

Wiryastuti highlighted the tourists’ willingness to pay more to enjoy the beauty of paddy fields in Tabanan.

"This demonstrates that agriculture -- paddy fields -- hold potential in the tourism sector in order to boost both the economy and food resilience," she noted.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong affirmed that the green economy focused on sustainable development without causing environmental degradation, has become Indonesia's perspective in its development.

"Indonesia will and is on its way toward low-carbon and low-emission development. The green economy movement is a concrete effort to encourage a reduction in deforestation for the benefit of the national and global community," (ANTARA).