TOUR DE BANYUWANGI OFFERS UNIQUE, MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 30, 2017 (Antara) - The international cycling race of "Tour de Banyuwangi Ijen" (TdBI) 2017 has combined sports and tourism events to offer unique and unforgettable experiences to some 100 participants from 29 countries.

          The participating countries included Iran, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Eritrea, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Colombia, and New Zealand.

          Held on Sept 27-30, the international professional cyclists and tourists have enjoyed the special hospitality offered by the host, according to Banyuwangi District Head Abdullah Azwar Anas.

          "The TdBI has become the best cycling race event in Indonesia, so we will use it to promote Indonesia, in general, and Banuwangi, in particular," he noted.   
     During the race, cyclists passed through iconic locations in Banyuwangi, which has been known as the Sunrise of Java.

          The TdBI, first held in 2012, has become an annual agenda for the Union Cycliste Internationale.

          A total of 20 teams participated in the event ranked as "excellent" by the World Cycling Race Federation that has declared it as the best in Indonesia.

         The cycling teams include the PCS Cycling Team from the Netherlands, Pishgaman Continental Team from Iran, LX Cycling Team of South Korea, 7 eleven RBP of the Philippines, BRCC of Indonesia, Bikelife Dong Nai of Vietnam, and Sapura Pro Cycling Team of Malaysia.

        The 533-kilometer-long race was divided into four stages. The race route covered Watudodol Beach, Bangsring Underwater, cacao village in Glenmore, and Ijen Mountain, among others.

        Hundreds of local artists performed traditional dances to welcome the guests to mark the opening and start of the event in Banyuwangi City.

PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITIZED AMID MT AGUNG'S INCREASED VOLCANIC ACTIVITY by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 28, 2017 (Antara) - Mount Agung has been rumbling since August, with an increase in the magnitude of tremors, though the volcano has not erupted so far.

        The volcano is located on the resort island of Bali, but it is quite far from the island's main tourist destinations, such as Kuta Beach, which is some 75 kilometers away.

        Several key Balinese destinations, such as Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Lake Beratan Bedugul, Tampak Siring Palace, Bali Safari and Marine Park, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Sanur and Kuta beaches, Tanjung Benoa, Goa Gajah, and Nusa Penida, are quite far from the volcano and not affected by the increase in volcanic activity at Mount Agung.   
   Bali has set a target to attract 5.5 million foreign tourists this year.

        The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali from January to August 2017 had reached 3.99 million, an increase of 25 percent as compared to that recorded during the same period last year.

        According to data of the Bali statistics office, the resort island had received 4.92 million foreign tourists in 2016, an increase of 23.14 percent as compared to 4.001 million in 2015.

        In the wake of Mount Agung showing signs of increased volcanic activity, the Indonesian authorities have ensured that Bali remains safe for tourists, and its Ngurah Rai International Airport remains open and functions normally.

        Several ministers had visited Bali to monitor the disaster mitigation handling activities and to coordinate measures and preparations to be better prepared to face the worst in case the mountain erupts.

        On Sept 26, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had visited the Mt Agung refugees in Klungkung District, Bali, and urged them to abide by the instructions given by the officers following an increase in the mount's volcanic activities.

NTT WORST AFFECTED BY CURRENT PROLONGED DROUGHT by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 28 , 2017 (Antara) - The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province is categorized as among the most arid regions in Indonesia due to which it is prone to severe drought that hits the province annually.

         Currently, every district in the province has been hit by prolonged and severe drought since the past several months.

         Springs have dried up in thousands of villages in the province's 22 districts, and the local authorities have sought clean water supplies for the local inhabitants.

         Last August, the Sabu Raijua district administration declared a severe drought emergency status, as the entire region had been affected by the extreme dry season.

         Several district administrations are supplying clean water sufficient only for drinking and cooking but not for bathing and washing. The local villagers have to draw water from rivers for bathing and washing purposes.

         The Kupang meteorology, climatology, and geophysics station has forecast that the rainy season in NTT will begin in late October and last until December 2017 for NTT.

        There are several seasonal zones in NTT, according to Apolinaris Geru, head of the Kupang meteorology and climatology stations.

         For seasonal zones in the districts of northern West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai, and northern Ngada in western Flores Island, the rainy season will begin in October 2017.

SOME INDONESIAN REGIONS HIT BY DROUGHT, OTHERS BY FLOODS by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 23, 2017 (Antara) - Indonesia is prone to hydrometeorological disasters such as flooding in rainy season and wildfires or severe drought during dry season.

        This September is the peak of dry season, and several regions have experiences drought that has led to clean water shortage.

        In East Java Province, for instance, at least 169 villages have been hit by drought and scarcity of clean water supply this year.

        The worst dry season is yet to come by the end of Sept 2017, so that the impact could be more disastrous, Sudarmawan, head of the East Java disaster mitigation office stated.

        In East Nusa Tenggara, the provincial government has declared emergency status of drought as several regions have not had rains since Aug, and wells, rivers, and springs have dried up.

        In South Karawang near Pangkalan Sub-district, Karawang District, West Java, several springs have dried up during the current drought.

        "Not only springs but the rivers in our region have also dried up. The local inhabitants have been facing a shortage of clean water," Usep Supriatna, the Pangkalan sub-district head, noted in Kerawang on Sept 23.

        Eight villages have been hit by the drought, and some 10 thousand people have been affected over the last several weeks.

        "The BPBD (local disaster mitigation office) has provided clean water to our regions several times," he noted.

        According to data of Karawang's BPBD, the drought has affected 30 villages in the district, an increase from 25 villages last year.

        In response to the disaster, the central government has outlined precautionary measures to handle drought in some regions in Indonesia.

MT AGUNG'S ACTIVITY ON RISE, BUT BALI REMAINS SAFE by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 23, 2017 (Antara) - The alert status for Mount Agung was raised to Watch, or Level IV, on Sept 22 following increased seismic activity, though authorities ensure that Bali remains safe for tourists, particularly locations far from the volcano.

          Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has appealed to tourists and residents to avoid any activity near the crater of Mount Agung and all northward, northeastward, southeastward, and south-southwestward areas within a 12-kilometer radius of its peak, increasing the area from six kilometers announced earlier.

          "All people in the areas must be evacuated starting from 8:30 p.m. local time today (Sept. 23). No tourist or public activity is allowed there," Kasbani of the PVMBG emphasized.

          However, despite increased volcanic activity at the 3,142-meter-high Mount Agung, Bali remains safe for tourists, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

          "Until now, Bali is still safe for tourist visits, except the area within the radius around Mt Agung where any activity has been banned by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)," he informed the press on Sept 23.

          Several key Balinese destinations, such as Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Lake Beratan Bedugul, Tampak Siring Palace, Bali Safari and Marine Park, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Sanur and Kuta beaches, Tanjung Benoa, Goa Gajah, and Nusa Penida, are safe and not affected by the increased volcanic activity at Mount Agung.

          "Tourist destinations in Bali are still safe. Please visit and enjoy the natural scenery, culture, culinary, and other attractions of Bali Island. The government will surely issue an early warning and information accurately if the volcano endangers the safety of the public," he said.

RETNO MARSUDI CONFERRED AGENT OF CHANGE AWARD BY UN WOMEN by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 21, 2017 (Antara) - Retno L. P. Marsudi, Indonesia's first-ever woman foreign affairs minister, has been recognized as an inspirational and phenomenal figure as well as a role model by UN Women, an organization of the United Nations (UN).

        Marsudi's hard work and sincere dedication to the nation and humanity globally received due recognition when UN Women bestowed the Agent of Change Award for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment on her.

        Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Lakshmi Puri, concurrently the assistant UN secretary general, presented the award during a luncheon held at the UN Headquarters in New York, the US, on the sidelines of the 72nd UN General Assembly (UNGA) Session.

        Puri of India, in her speech, said Minister Marsudi has become an inspiration and a role model for women in Indonesia and globally.

        Under the leadership of Marsudi, the Indonesian foreign ministry has promoted gender equality regionally and globally, she remarked.

        "She has also been in the spotlight regionally and globally for conducting sensitive diplomacy in the region, including in the context of Myanmar," Puri pointed out.

        This year, other recipients of the UN Women's Agents of Change Awards are President of Chile Michele Bachelet Jeria, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Margot Wallström, and Chairwoman of the General Women's Union of the UAE Sheikha Fatima binti Mubarak.

        The award is bestowed to recognize women leaders in public office for their pioneering work in achieving gender equality and women's empowerment across the globe.

        "Thank God, what Indonesia has done so far in humanitarian diplomacy and peace has been recognized by the world," Minister Marsudi stated after receiving the award.