Dealing with the haze<\/p>\n
Just as many of us feared and expected, the haze hazard,
\ncaused by the uncontrolled burning of forest and brushfires in a
\nnumber of areas across Indonesia, is back with us again. Some
\nexperts even believe that given predictions of a hotter and
\nlonger dry season this year, the threat of severe air pollution
\nin a number of regions in and around this country could well be
\nworse this time than in 1997.<\/p>\n
To give a rough idea of what all this connotes, it may be
\nhelpful to cite a number of facts concerning the 1997 forest and
\nbrushfires, as observed by Indonesia's best known environmental
\nwatchdog, the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi). According
\nto the Walhi report, the 1997 fires destroyed about 10 million
\nhectares (24.7 million acres) of forest, concessions and
\nplantations, causing a total loss of Rp 60 trillion (US$8.8
\nbillion).<\/p>\n
For six months, smoke from the fires blanketed an area of
\nthree million square kilometers, including Singapore and parts of
\nMalaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia, as well as
\nIndonesia. In the areas affected, the haze disrupted
\ntransportation and various other aspects of the population's
\nnormal daily life and wreaked havoc on those countries' tourism.
\nWalhi warns that given this year's predicted drier weather
\nconditions, it could take just one month for the disaster to
\ndevelop the devastating levels of two years ago.<\/p>\n
Already this week, with visibility reduced to 200 meters, the
\nhaze compelled authorities in Riau province on the island of
\nSumatra to declare a state of emergency for land, sea and air
\ntraffic. The Riau office of the Ministry and Forestry and
\nPlantations acknowledged that the haze was obstructing safe
\ntraffic in the Strait of Malacca. By yesterday, meanwhile,
\nofficials reported a further reduction of land visibility to only
\n100 meters in Riau's provincial capital of Pekanbaru. As in 1997,
\npeople were advised to wear masks and not to venture outside
\ntheir homes unless absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n
Amid all this, official reports concerning the magnitude of
\nthe disaster remain confusing to say the least. Walhi said
\nearlier this week that satellite images from the beginning of
\nAugust indicated 341 hot spots existed on the island of Sumatra
\nand 100 in Kalimantan, citing National Oceanic and Atmospheric
\nAdministration data. According to an official of the National
\nSpace and Flight Agency, however, satellite imaging showed 60 hot
\nspots in Kalimantan and only eight in Sumatra, although he added
\nthat heavy cloud formations were obstructing proper imaging.<\/p>\n
Whatever the case may be, this recurrence of the 1997
\nenvironmental disaster sends out a clear signal that much more
\nserious attention must be given to the preservation of our
\nenvironment -- our forests in particular. While logging
\ncompanies, plantation owners and others must be held responsible
\nfor the proper management of our environmental resources, the
\nmain responsibility rests with the government.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, thus far the government has done little to
\nrebuff the impression that it has concern for environmental
\nmatters. But while the statistics of the damage done may serve as
\na warning of the danger that is threatening one of our most
\npriceless natural resources, the protests that have been raised
\nby neighboring governments and environmentalists all over the
\nworld over our handling of our forest resources is something
\nwhich our authorities cannot ignore.<\/p>\n
Already, there are reports of foreign companies threatening to
\nboycott Indonesian palm oil products unless the government
\neffectively stops the widely used slash-and-burn method of land
\nclearing for agriculture. Brunei is reported to be threatening to
\nsue Indonesia for the haze problem it is causing in its airspace
\nand other fellow members of ASEAN are complaining -- so much so
\nin fact, that it is not too far-fetched to imagine it could erode
\nASEAN's cherished principle of noninterference.<\/p>\n
What all this amounts to is that it is high time that all
\nIndonesians, and notably the government, become aware of the
\nmagnitude of the problem and start summoning a greater sense of
\nurgency to protect our environment -- not for the good of this
\ncountry alone, but for the region and the world.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dealing-with-the-haze-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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