18% of protected forests already destroyed: Govt<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has indicated that destruction of the country's
\nprotected forests and conservation areas has so far reached 5.9
\nmillion hectares, or 18 percent of the total protected area.<\/p>\n
Director of Conservation Areas at the Ministry of Forestry
\nWidodo S. Ramono said on Wednesday that illegal logging and land
\nclearance were to blame for the destruction of protected forests
\nand conservation areas.<\/p>\n
\"Based on satellite imagery, we can say that 18 percent of the
\ncountry's protected forest and conservation areas are no longer
\ngreen. We presume this is mainly due to illegal logging and land
\nclearance,\" he told the Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The area of protected forests destroyed reached four million
\nhectares, Widodo said.<\/p>\n
According to Widodo, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central
\nKalimantan, recorded the highest amount of destroyed conservation
\narea with over half of its area plundered, covering 40,000
\nhectares. Destruction of protected forests in the border between
\nKalimantan and Malaysia has also reached crisis level.<\/p>\n
In contrast to environment groups' estimates, he claimed that
\nonly 7 percent of the area of Kerinci Seblat National Park in
\nSumatra was devastated. The park, situated on the borders of
\nJambi, Riau and West Sumatra, is known as one of the most badly
\ndamaged conservation areas following the implementation of
\nregional autonomy in 2001.<\/p>\n
Among the conservation areas that remain well-preserved are
\nMount Gede National Park and Ujung Kulon National Park, West
\nJava, and several national parks in Papua, said Widodo.<\/p>\n
The forestry ministry's data shows that illegal logging and
\nother human activities were detected in some 5.2 million hectares
\nof protected forest and conservation areas.<\/p>\n
These areas total 21.1 million hectares, according to the
\nministry's data.<\/p>\n
Mining operations inside forests are believed to be another
\npotential source of forest destruction.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Forest Watch Indonesia's Togu Manurung believed the
\nactual total of the country's protected forest and conservation
\nareas destroyed was much higher than shown in the data provided
\nby the Ministry of Forestry.<\/p>\n
He said, for example, up to 2002, the ministry presented data
\nthat the deforestation rate had reached 1.5 million hectares per
\nyear, but recently the ministry revised the figure to 2 million
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
\"Based on this experience, the ministry's data on protected
\nforests and conservation area destroyed is usually lower than it
\nactually is,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
However, Togu agreed that the main factor in the destruction
\nof protected forest was widespread illegal logging.<\/p>\n
\"As production forests have diminished, illegal loggers have
\nshifted their target to protected forests,\" he said, adding that
\nPapua's forests, which are relatively untouched, have also become
\nthe next destination of illegal loggers.<\/p>\n
He added there was no other way to stop forest destruction
\nthan to take illegal loggers to court and close down timber
\ncompanies that failed to promote sustainable environment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/18-of-protected-forests-already-destroyed-govt-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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