Dr. Bambang PurwantaraDirector

Bogor, Indonesiab.purwantara@biotrop.org

www.biotrop.org

SEAMEO Regional Centre for Tropical Biology

Vision & Mission of the Centre

Vision: A Leading Centre for enhancing and

promoting the real values of tropical biology in Southeast Asia

Mission: To provide scientific knowledge and capacity building in conserving and

managing tropical biology sustainably for the well-being of communities and the environment of Southeast Asia

Areas Covered:• Food and Feed Security and Safety• Bio-energy Development• Tropical Pests & Diseases Management• Value Adding in Natural Products• Biotechnology

Tropical Biologyfor

Community Welfare

Areas Covered:• Biodiversity Conservation & Management• Landscape Restoration• Management of Tropical Ecosystem Functions and Services• Ecosystems Health Monitoring

Tropical Biology for

Environmental Integrity

Major Programmes: Research and Development

Major Programmes: Training

1. Regional Training Course on Control and Management of Invasive Alien Plant Species

2. Regional Training Course on Control and Prevention of Aflatoxin Contamination in Food and Feedstuff

3. Regional Seminar-Workshop on Bioinformatics and Genomics

4. Regional Training Course on Biodiversity Conservation through High Resolution Imagery

Major Programmes: Community Outreach

1. Rehabilitation of ex-mining sites and biodiversity conservation of indigenous and exotic tree species in industrial sites in Indonesia

2. Youth Environmental Outreach Grants Program

3. Restoration of damaged areas due to IAS and community livelihood generation at Mt Pangrango National Park, West Java

4. Free Public Consultation and Orientation for Visitors on various technologies available in the Centre

Significant Accomplishments

1. Herbarium and database having a collection of around 5,000 weeds and invasive alien plant species

2. International Master of Science Degree Program on Information Technology for Natural Resources Management

3. Technologies enhancing sorghum as a commodity for food, feed, fuel, fiber, and fertilizer

4. Protocols for micro propagation of some high value tree species, horticulture plants, tuber crops (Japanese taro & potato) & cottonii seaweed

5. Capacity building of close to 8,000 professionals, farmers and students in various aspects of tropical biology

Vision for the Future

• Expansion of our MS Degree Program on IT-NRM in terms of: a. offering of double degree program with Japanese universities b. use of latest IT technologies for biodiversity conservation and restoration of degraded landscapes c. tapping of Japanese experts as part of the teaching pool either on face-to-face or distance education

• Mainstreaming of wildlife in our research portfolio to focus on: a. Ecological studies b. Breeding of threatened species

• Focus more research on restoration and rehabilitation of degraded landscapes through:

a. Bioremediation b. Use of local species c. Use of beneficial soil microbes

• Strengthening of research and training on biotechnology, bioinformatics and genomics