Almost $457,000 from ITTO for RI forestry project<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia received a grant yesterday worth
\nUS$456,989 from the Japanese-based International Tropical Timber
\nOrganization (ITTO) to assess the state of some of the country's
\ntropical rain forests.<\/p>\n
The project, to be based in Jambi province and Pulau Laut,
\nSouth Kalimantan, will be conducted jointly by the forestry
\nministry, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Tropical
\nBiology (SEAMEO-BIOTROP) and the ITTO.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's agreement was signed jointly by the Director
\nGeneral of Inventory and Forest Land Use Sumahadi; the director
\nof SEAMEO-BIOTROP in Bogor, Soekotjo; and the executive director
\nof the ITTO, B.C.Y. Freezailah.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, who attended
\nthe signing ceremony, said that the three-year project aims to
\ncreate a monitoring system to assess the health of forests,
\nincluding their susceptibility to disease and the volume of tree
\ngrowth.<\/p>\n
\"The results of the project will form a quantitative basis for
\nconducting sustainable forest management. It will also prepare
\nIndonesia to enter the eco-labeling era, starting in the year
\n2000,\" Djamaludin said.<\/p>\n
Information<\/p>\n
Information to be provided by the project will include data on
\nforest biodiversity, the minister said, adding that the knowledge
\ngained will be used in decision-making.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin said the project, which is the first of its kind in
\nIndonesia to focus on tropical forests, \"will demonstrate that
\nIndonesia cares, not only about production, but about
\nconservation as well.\"<\/p>\n
Responding to questions about the condition of temperate
\nforests, Freezailah said that all parties have expressed a
\ncommitment to preserving their forests.<\/p>\n
\"Eco-labeling, which is conducted on a voluntary basis, will
\nbe observed not only by tropical timber producers but also by
\nnon-tropical producers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said timber producers certified under the eco-labeling
\nprogram would reap higher profits from countries in which
\nconsumers are environmentally conscious enough to pay more for
\nthe labeled timber.<\/p>\n
The ITTO is currently studying whether people are prepared to
\npay more for timber produced under the eco-labeling program, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Sustainability is a process which has no fixed target,\"
\nFreezailah added.<\/p>\n
In addition to yesterday's grant, the ITTO has agreed to
\nsupport conservation programs in the Bentuang Karimun National
\nPark in West Kalimantan. It has also been conducting a trans-
\nborder project in the Lanjak Entimau area straddling Kalimantan
\nand Malaysia's Sarawak region.<\/p>\n
ITTO grants to the forestry ministry currently total $7.5
\nmillion. (pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/almost-457000-from-itto-for-ri-forestry-project-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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