Environmentalists move to protect lowland forests<\/p>\n
Tb. Arie Rukmantara and Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Bogor<\/p>\n
Environmentalists fear that the remaining lowland forests on
\nSumatra will vanish in the next 10 years because of its
\nconversion into industrial forest to produce raw materials for
\nthe world's rapidly growing pulp and paper industry.<\/p>\n
Senior forestry specialist at the Center for International
\nForestry Research (CIFOR) Christian Cossalter said recently that
\ntimber from Sumatra's forests, especially from Riau province, was
\nbeing harvested not only to meet domestic industry's demand, but
\nalso for export to China, where many Indonesian businessmen have
\nset up pulp and paper factories.<\/p>\n
According to Cossalter, in early January of this year,
\nIndonesian-based Asia Pulp and Paper established a paper factory
\nin Hainan, southern China, with an annual production capacity of
\nup to 1 million tons. \"Raw materials from China are insufficient.
\nI suspect that the timber comes from Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said major pulp and paper firms operating in Sumatra,
\nsuch as PT Indah Kiat and PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, had a
\nhuge production capacity that could reach up to 2 million tons of
\npulp and paper annually, making them the biggest producers in the
\nworld.<\/p>\n
\"Such a huge production capacity will surely threaten the
\nenvironment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Cossalter said his organization had conveyed the projection to
\nthe government five years ago, and therefore he wondered why the
\nsituation was getting worse.<\/p>\n
\"CIFOR is here to find the best way to manage Indonesian
\nforests. We have carried out various studies and voiced our input
\nto the government, but of course it's for the government to
\ndecide whether or not they should listen to us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a conservation biologist at BirdLife Indonesia,
\nVictoria Ngantung, said Sumatran lowland forests have experienced
\nrapid deforestation since 1900, when it occupied about 16 million
\nhectares of land.<\/p>\n
\"But now, only 500,000 hectares are left,\" she told The
\nJakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
She explained that aside from wood-based industries, the
\ndeforestation of the island was also being caused by conversion
\nof forests into plantations.<\/p>\n
\"If no immediate action is taken, it (Sumatran lowland
\nforests) will disappear in the next few years,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Victoria said the lowland forests were vital as they possessed
\nrich biodiversity, and were home to about 425 bird species and
\nover a dozen endemic mammals, such as Sumatran Rhino and
\nelephant.<\/p>\n
Therefore, a consortium consisting of BirdLife Indonesia,
\nBirdLife International and the Royal Society for the Protection
\nof Birds have taken the initiative to restore the ecosystem in a
\n100,000 hectare-forest block in Jambi and South Sumatra
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
\"After a series of studies we gave priority to lowland
\nforests in the two provinces because they are less damaged than
\nother lowland forest areas in Sumatra,\" she explained, adding
\nthat the consortium had succeeded in encouraging the Ministry of
\nForestry to issue regulations supporting their initiative.<\/p>\n
The concession area will be safeguarded from clear-cutting for
\ntimber, as well as from the paper industry and oil palm
\nplantations, BirdLife document says.<\/p>\n
\"The purpose is to save lowland forest in Sumatra by securing
\nit from any logging activities,\" Victoria said.<\/p>\n
Through the effort, she said, it was expected that in about 20
\nyears the area would have recovered, and large, tall trees could
\nfunction optimally as homes for endangered species.<\/p>\n
The BirdLife document says surveys have revealed that 235 bird
\nspecies and 32 mammals, of which seven were wild cats and five
\nprimates, are living in the concession area that also hosts a
\nhigh density of Sumatran Tiger and gibbons.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/environmentalists-move-to-protect-lowland-forests-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}