Deforestation accelerated as regions issue concession<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Deforestation of the country's already much-depleted natural
\nforests has accelerated as local administrations are currently in
\na race to give businesspeople hundreds of timber concession
\nlicenses in order to help fill the regions' coffers.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry estimated that the \"illegal\" licenses
\ngranted by the regencies over the past two years covered thus far
\nan estimated area of 2 million hectares (m ha).<\/p>\n
Director of forest exploitation at the Ministry of Forestry
\nLumisu Mangiwa said the problem had become the subject of dispute
\nbetween the ministry and local administrations as the latter
\nrefused to comply, claiming their right over the use of forests.<\/p>\n
\"Issuance of the licenses has become uncontrollable. Due to
\nthe autonomy law, local administrations now reject all orders and
\nregulations made by the central government,\" Lumisu told The
\nJakarta Post last week.<\/p>\n
The ministry, said Lumisu, had declared that any timber
\nresulting from such concessions was illegal.<\/p>\n
According to Lumisu, the Ministry of Forestry had banned the
\nissuance of forest concession licenses since 1999 in order to
\nrehabilitate destroyed natural forests, as deforestation had
\naffected 40.26 m ha of the country's 120 m ha of natural forest.<\/p>\n
Lumisu's statement has further highlighted the tough challenge
\nfaced by Indonesia, both the government and its citizens, in its
\nstruggle to protect its forests and the complexity of the causes
\nbehind rapid deforestation.<\/p>\n
The statement came just days after donor countries from the
\nConsultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) criticized Indonesia's
\nfailure to protect its forests.<\/p>\n
The CGI working group on forestry, in its statement issued
\nduring the CGI meeting early last week in Bali, attributed the
\nfailure to the lack of integrated efforts by related government
\nagencies to deal with the problem.<\/p>\n
Prior to the CGI meeting, a string of reports had been
\nreleased by a number of international agencies about rapid
\ndeforestation in Indonesia, including an embarrassing report by
\nthe London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (IEA), which
\nwarned about the surge of illegal logging in Indonesia and
\naccused the military and police of involvement in the illegal
\npractice.<\/p>\n
Illegal timber was exported to Malaysia, China, Vietnam and
\nIndia at a rate of 10 million cubic meters per year, resulting in
\nRp 7.2 trillion-worth of annual losses to the country, according
\nto the report.<\/p>\n
Apart from illegal loggers, Lumisu said, forest concession-
\nholders were the main culprits behind deforestation. Some 43
\npercent of the country's forest concession areas were either in a
\ncritical state or no longer productive.<\/p>\n
Lumisu said the ministry was powerless to deal with the
\nregions's forest authorities that issued forest concession
\nlicenses as they were not subordinate to the ministry.<\/p>\n
He said the ministry had sent its officials several times to
\nstop logging by businesses that had gained licenses from the
\nregencies. However, they were forced to flee by hoodlums hired by
\nthe regents.<\/p>\n
The ministry has, several times, asked the National Police and
\nthe Attorney General's Office to curb the illegal practice, but
\nthe measures taken by both agencies, if any, have thus far borne
\nno results.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/deforestation-accelerated-as-regions-issue-concession-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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