The hard work of Prof. Jatna Supriatna, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Earth and Resources (ISER) at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), has once again attracted global attention. This is evidenced by the environmental activist's winning the international Margot Marsh Award for Excellence in Primate Conservation 2023.
The award was presented directly by Russell A. Mittermeier, Chief Conservation Officer of the Re:Wild organization to Prof. Jatna in Kuching, Malaysia, on August 22, 2023 at the World Congress of Primatology.
Re:Wild is an international community organization focused on conservation and environmental sustainability. Prof. Jatna was recognized for his contributions and consistent work in primate conservation.
"I have been involved in conservation biology for more than 40 years, and have received many national and international awards. I believe these previous achievements were the basis for this award," said Prof. Jatna.
He believes that the main problem in the development of conservation biology in Indonesia is that academics are not involved in strategic government development decisions.
He expressed his concerns in his professorship inauguration speech entitled "The Role of Conservation Biology in Supporting Sustainable Development" in March 2017, at the UI Campus, Depok.
"Environmental conservation carried out based on a scientific approach will reduce unnecessary errors in the implementation process, even though it is relatively more expensive," he added.
As a manifestation of his concern for the development of conservation biology in Indonesia, he not only dedicates himself to UI but also actively shares his knowledge outside the campus. Although he has retired from his duties as a lecturer at UI, Prof. Jatna remains active in sharing his views on the importance of environmental conservation by attending as a keynote speaker at various seminars and public discussions that raise environmental issues. The Executive Director of DIPI (Indonesian Science Fund) and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Indonesian Conservation Foundation has also been listed as a judge for The Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Awards (Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy) since 2018.
Prof. Jatna is also actively developing conservation programs in Indonesia with Conservation International, an international non-governmental organization specializing in conservation. Simultaneously, he has further developed his interest in the biodiversity of the Wallacea region, particularly Sulawesi and its surrounding islands, and the evolutionary processes that accompany it.
His global role as a conservation biologist has led him to receive a series of prestigious awards, including the Golden Ark Award (1999), Habibie Award (2008), Terry MacManus Award (2010), Achmad Bakrie Awards (2011) and Lifetime Achievement from Conservation International (2017), until his name was immortalized for a new tarsier species. Tarsius Supriatnai, which was discovered in Gorontalo by researchers who are members of the Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2017.
Another achievement, he has written more than 20 books on environmental and conservation themes, as well as more than 150 internationally reputable papers.
Meanwhile, the organizations he has led include, Chairman of the Research Center for Climate Change (RCCC) University of Indonesia, Executive Director/Vice President of Conservation International Indonesia (1994-2011), President of the South East Asia Primatologist Association (2006), Chairman of the IUCN-SSC PSG Southeast Asia (2007), and being an active member of several international organizations such as IUCN and the International Primatological Society.
