Forest fire losses may exceed Rp 100b<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The fires that have ravaged more than 20,000
\nhectares of brush and forest in East Kalimantan over the last two
\nmonths have incurred Rp 76.2 billion in losses for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
According to the latest data, areas belonging to timber
\nestates accounted for Rp 65.4 billion of the total losses, forest
\nconcessions for Rp 8.5 billion, and plantations for Rp 2.1
\nbillion, Antara reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
Quoting head of the provincial environmental impact management
\nagency, Awang Farouk Ishak, the news agency predicted that the
\nlosses this year would be higher than last year, when fires
\nravaged 30,000 hectares of forest between April and December. The
\n1997 fires caused losses of up to Rp 100 billion.<\/p>\n
He said 18,035 hectares out of the total 20,158 hectares
\ndamaged by this year's fires were forest areas located in the
\nKutai National Park and Bontang Reserve Forest. The remaining
\n2,123 hectares were brush areas.<\/p>\n
Awang predicted the fires would get worse and that the induced
\nimpact would also be worse than the one suffered by the country
\nlast year which, according to a bona fide study, caused more than
\nUS$1 million in damage through haze alone.<\/p>\n
The local branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature has said
\nthat the high cost of haze-inflicted damage could have been used
\n\"to provide basic sanitation, water and sewage services for 40
\nmillion people, or about one third of the country's poor.\"<\/p>\n
According to Awang, the losses to be suffered by the country
\nduring this year's forest and brush fires in East Kalimantan --
\naggravated by the prolonged dry season and economic crisis --
\nwere still being calculated.<\/p>\n
Continued burning by companies and slash-and-burn farmers to
\nclear land following seasonal harvests have heightened fears of
\nthe haze, which covered the country and neighboring Malaysia and
\nSingapore throughout much of last year, returning.<\/p>\n
In line with the deepening environmental crisis, Awang said
\nyesterday that the provincial government has vowed to take
\nstringent legal action against forest burners.<\/p>\n
Out of 20 companies accused of starting fires to clear land,
\none known as PT Matras Sawit has been singled out for arson and a
\ndossier against the company has been submitted to police for
\nfurther investigation, he said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta yesterday, Hadi S. Alikodra, a senior official at
\nthe office of the state minister of environment, said the
\ngovernment was also figuring out ways to give short-term
\nassistance to people affected by the latest outbreak of fires.<\/p>\n
Speaking with reporters and several non-governmental
\norganization activists in his office, Hadi said work on a labor-
\nintensive program was being devised in cooperation with the
\nNational Development Planning Board (Bappenas).<\/p>\n
\"The first priority now will be providing enough food to those
\naffected, before taking further steps to help them cope with the
\ncurrent biological crisis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, about 5,000 people living in several
\nremote villages in Kutai regency, 120 kilometers northwest of
\nEast Kalimantan's capital of Samarinda -- where some of the
\nprovince's worst fires are burning -- are now facing food
\nshortages.<\/p>\n
The provincial government has sent 20 tons of rice relief to
\nthe affected villages of Ritan Baru, in Tabang subdistrict, and
\nPajeng Long Lees and Nyelon, Muara Ancalong subdistrict. (aan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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