Deforestation damages environment<\/p>\n
Iskandar Zulkarnaen, Antara News Agency\/Balikpapan<\/p>\n
Looking back at a wet tropical forest in East Kalimantan 10 years
\nago was refreshing. The foliage of bangkirai and meranti trees
\nwas still dense, hardly allowing any sunlight to penetrate deep
\ninto the forest ground. At that time, motorists often turned off
\ntheir air conditioners in order to enjoy the fresh air in the
\nforests.<\/p>\n
However, since 1998, the situation has changed. The El Nino
\nwave that swept the hill and forest areas, compounded with a big
\nfire, has changed the landscape.<\/p>\n
Today, if you look at the forest, which is located in Kutai
\nKartanegara regency between Balikpapan and Samarinda cities, you
\nmay find that there are still many trees standing, but they have
\nno leaves. In some parts, the dense forest has changed into vast
\nunderbrush. Worse, the number of houses has been increasing in
\nthe past few years and have further encroached into the forest.
\nThe deforestation has not only damaged the forest flora, but it
\nhas also brought losses to the forest fauna, said forestry expert
\nAbu Bakar Lahji.<\/p>\n
Lahji said that the forest fire and deforestation has
\ndestroyed some insect species that were important to spread plant
\nseeds across the forest area. With the absence of those insects,
\nthe reforestation process could not proceed as fast as the
\ngovernment expected.<\/p>\n
Besides the forest fire and forest encroachment by locals, the
\nforest in Soeharto Hill is also threatened by the coal mining.
\nThe local government has issued permits for coal mining in some
\nparts of the forest, thus threatening forest conservation.<\/p>\n
Several local non-governmental organizations (NGO) have
\nstrongly protested the coal mining, and in response to the
\nprotests, the local government has said that it would review the
\npermits.<\/p>\n
The NGOs demanded that the government cancel the permits as
\nthe presence of Soeharto Hill as a conservation forest is of high
\nimportance. It functions as a catchment area for several lowland
\nareas including Samarinda, Balikpapan, Muara Jawa and Semboja
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry M.S. Ka'ban lamented that deforestation
\nhad taken place so rapidly on the 61,000-hectare hill, which has
\nbecome both a park for forestry research and a tourist
\ndestination. "The government has spent a lot money to carry out
\nreforestation programs on the hill, but there are still many
\ncritical areas of land," said Ka'ban.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/deforestation-damages-environment-1447893297",
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