Banjarmasin, Oct. 16 -- Indonesia's Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq urged universities in Kalimantan to spearhead conservation research that helps re-establish the region as the "lungs of the world," citing its rich peatlands and mangrove ecosystems.

"Kalimantan has extraordinary comparative advantages, extensive peatlands and mangroves. We just need to build competitive advantages through cross-border collaboration research," Nurofiq said on Thursday during a speech in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

His remarks came at the 6th International Conference on Chemical Engineering and Applied Sciences (ICChEAS), hosted by Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) under the theme "Green Chemistry."

Nurofiq said that sustainable green indu...