Batam Botanic Gardens (currently in development)

Batam Island is located about 20 km from Singapore, and for business people it is known as a city of trade and industry. Its proximity to Singapore also makes Batam a primary crossing site for tourists so it is not unexpected that, between business people and tourists, this city is visited by more than 1 million overseas visitors each year. However, almost undetected, Batam has been growing rapidly both from an economic perspective and in population. This has become a major threat to the environment, particularly coastal (mangrove) forests, which are in decline due to abrasion. In response to this issue, the Batam City Government plans to establish a botanic garden as one form of nature reserve, so that 58.57%, or 23.43 ha, of the total forested area of Batam can be saved. Administratively, the proposed site of Batam Botanic Gardens is located in the suburb Sambau, Nongsa District, by the side ofJalan Hang Lekiu Km. 4 – Nongsa. This location covers 85 ha and is about 10 km from Hang Nadim Airport, and 15 km from Batam Center. The gardens will be located in a tourist area and near an international entry point.

 

Themeand Collection:

The theme of Batam Botanic Gardens is “Conservation of Plants from Small Islands in Indonesia”. There are plans to arrange the collection by biogeographic regions, including collections from:

• Islands in the Sundaland region
• Islands in the Wallacea region
• Islands in the New Guinea region
• Islands in the Oceania region
• Islands in other regions of the world

Thematic gardens will include a maze garden, flower garden, children’s garden and others planned to become strengths of these botanic gardens. Coastal areas in the form of mangrove forests will be preserved as forested zones that can be accessed by bridge or wooden tracks Development Philosophy

Development Philosophy In its role as National Single Window for the business world and international trade, Batam city has become a modern city with modern architecture. Batam has not, however, left behind its Malay culture,which can be seen primarily in the use of the names of famous Malay characters to name public facilities. Similarly, the designs chosen for buildings at Batam Botanic Gardens combine modern architecture with Malay cultural roots, as seen in the Master Plan.

Iconic building

In order to draw visitors, a cable car system (Botanical Skyway) will be built, linking the main receiving zone with the secondary receiving zone. This unique mode of transport will allow visitors a “bird’s eye view” of the collection and to enjoy views of Batam.