According to Onrizal, discussions surrounding the Leuser Ecosystem have often been framed as though conservation and development are opposing interests. In reality, he argued, the two should not be viewed as mutually exclusive.

"Leuser is not only important for wildlife and biodiversity. It is also a life-support system that supplies water to millions of people, maintains landscape stability, reduces the risk of floods and landslides, and supports a wide range of community economic activities. Therefore, the future of Leuser cannot be separated from the future of development in North Sumatra and Aceh," he said.

He explained that the Leuser Ecosystem Area in North Sumatra encompasses various land-use functions, including conservation areas, protected forests, production forests, and other designated land-use areas. This diversity demonstrates that managing the ecosystem requires a comprehensive approach rather than a sectoral one.

According to Onrizal, productive economic activities may still be carried out in locations that are legally designated for utilization under spatial planning regulations. However, every form of land use must be undertaken carefully, taking environmental carrying capacity into account while ensuring that the area's ecological functions remain intact.

"We need to distinguish between economic activities that support sustainable landscapes and those that increase the risk of environmental degradation. What should be promoted are productive enterprises that generate economic benefits while preserving the ecological functions of the ecosystem," he explained.

He noted that approaches such as agroforestry, the sustainable use of non-timber forest products, environmental services, community-based ecotourism, and other productive activities that do not significantly alter land cover are more appropriate for strategically important areas such as Leuser.

Conversely, activities that may fragment habitats, disrupt wildlife corridors, damage riverbanks, increase disaster risks, or reduce the quality of ecosystem services should be subject to strict control.

Onrizal further stressed that biodiversity and critical habitat protection within the Leuser Ecosystem Area must be more firmly integrated into regional development planning documents at both the provincial level and in the regencies located within and surrounding the ecosystem.

"Leuser must not appear merely as an environmental sector issue. It should become a key consideration in spatial planning, infrastructure development, agriculture, plantations, tourism, water resource management, and disaster risk reduction. In other words, Leuser must become part of the regional development agenda," he emphasized.

In his capacity as Vice Chair of the North Sumatra Regional Forestry Forum (FKD), Onrizal stated that effective management of the Leuser Ecosystem Area requires stronger coordination among the central government, regional governments, academics, the private sector, civil society organizations, and local communities.

He emphasized that policies related to spatial planning and natural resource utilization should be based on a shared understanding that Leuser is a strategic asset whose benefits extend beyond administrative boundaries and generations.

"Leuser cannot be protected by a single institution or sector alone. The challenges facing this ecosystem cross administrative boundaries and institutional mandates. Therefore, collaboration and integrated policies are essential to ensuring that development objectives and environmental protection can progress hand in hand," he said.

Speaking in his capacity as Chair of the Supervisory Board of Green Justice Indonesia (GJI), Onrizal also highlighted the importance of strengthening ecosystem governance through a more integrated and science-based approach.

According to him, regional governments need more practical management tools, including standardized reference maps, identification of environmentally sensitive areas, environmental carrying capacity indicators, and clear evaluation mechanisms for every proposed land-use activity within the Leuser Ecosystem Area.

He added that the ecological disasters experienced in North Sumatra over recent years demonstrate that the costs of environmental degradation often far exceed the short-term economic gains generated by uncontrolled land use.

"Good development is not development that opens up as much land as possible. Good development is development that maintains a balance between economic growth, environmental sustainability, and the long-term well-being of society," he said.

Onrizal expressed hope that the workshop would produce concrete recommendations for strengthening the integration of Leuser Ecosystem protection into the Regional Medium-Term Development Plans (RPJMD) of North Sumatra Province and the relevant regencies, while also enhancing the governance of this National Strategic Area, which plays a vital role in environmental sustainability and public welfare.

"Leuser is not an empty space waiting to be exploited. It is an ecological asset that has long sustained the lives of millions of people. Our responsibility is not to exhaust its benefits today, but to ensure that those benefits remain available for present and future generations," he concluded.