Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto has allocated a budget of Rp839 billion (US$48 million) to build fences and embankments around Way Kambas National Park, Lampung Province, as an effort to address the long-standing human-elephant conflict in the area.The policy was announced by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni after attending a limited meeting chaired by the president at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Thursday.”Several months ago, a village head was trampled by an elephant as the elephant attempted to cross villages, housing complexes, or agricultural land,” Antoni said, describing one potential human-elephant conflict in Way Kambas.He noted that the construction plan was a directive from President Prabowo to protect wildlife and improve the safety of communities around the national park.Previously, the head of state said the allocated funds for the project could reach a maximum of Rp2 trillion (US$115 million). However, technical studies and efficiency efforts showed the budget requirement was estimated at around Rp839 billion.The minister explained that the construction of the fences and embankments aims to prevent elephants from escaping the conservation area and entering residential areas and agricultural land.According to him, the government is currently testing fence and embankment designs, studying the experiences of several countries, such as Africa and India, in managing wildlife conservation areas.In addition to serving as area boundaries, this infrastructure is also planned to be part of a community empowerment program, he added.Antoni explained that in several locations, the area around the fences will be used for economic activities such as honey bee cultivation.“In this way, nature and wildlife are preserved, while also providing significant economic benefits for local communities,” he remarked.This infrastructure plan is included in the presidential instruction to safeguard elephant populations and habitats, signaling a serious government intervention to prevent the extinction of protected species.The policy aims to strengthen conservation efforts for elephants, which face significant threats from habitat destruction in Sumatra and Kalimantan.Scientific data indicate elephant habitat pockets in Indonesia have halved, dropping from 42 to roughly 21 surviving areas.