German legislators urge halt to Leuser road plan<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A delegation of German parliamentarians urged Indonesia to
\ncancel a road construction project which would cut through the
\nLeuser National Park in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
\"The Leuser National Park must be saved due to the benefit it
\nbrings as lungs for the world and the economic benefits it
\nprovides to the local people,\" said German parliament member
\nChristian Ruck during a meeting with State Minister for the
\nEnvironment Nabiel Makarim and non-governmental organizations.<\/p>\n
The five-member delegation recently visited the Leuser park in
\nNorth Sumatra, and Ruck said they had concluded that the road
\nproject would damage the park.<\/p>\n
Germany is one of Indonesia's major creditor countries with a
\nkeen interest in tying debt repayments to efforts to protect the
\nenvironment. In March, Germany approved a US$15 million debt-for-
\nnature swap to be used for water-related projects.<\/p>\n
Environmentalists have warned that the construction of the
\nLadia Galaska road through the Leuser Park would increase the
\naccess of illegal loggers to protected forest areas.<\/p>\n
Ruck reiterated the concerns about widespread illegal logging,
\nwhich would harm the park's bio-diversity.<\/p>\n
He added that the German parliament would fully support all
\nsides that sought to save the Leuser park.<\/p>\n
\"Ecotourism and selling carbon dioxide consumption quotas are
\ntwo potential income sources from the (Leuser) national park,\"
\nsaid another German parliament member, Christa Reichard.<\/p>\n
Minister Nabiel hailed the German parliament's support, but
\nconceded the government was still divided over the issue.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, although claiming to be
\nconcerned about the destruction in Leuser, has done little to
\nhalt the project.<\/p>\n
This has left Nabiel's office and the Ministry of Forestry
\npitted against the Minister of Settlement and Regional
\nInfrastructure, and the Aceh provincial government.<\/p>\n
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh hopes the Ladia Galaska will lead
\nto economic revitalization in the war-torn province.<\/p>\n
The road is supposed to connect isolated areas in western Aceh
\nand eastern Aceh, thus facilitating the delivery of commodities
\nand boosting economic activities in the areas concerned.<\/p>\n
This could result in damage to between 200 and 400 square
\nkilometers of forest in the park, the Leuser Management Unit
\n(UML) has warned.<\/p>\n
Leuser is home to some 6,000 orangutans, 4,000 elephants, 200
\ntigers and 50 Sumatra rhinos, according to a recent estimate by
\nthe Leuser Management Unit (UML).<\/p>\n
Despite being rich in natural resources, Aceh remains one of
\nthe country's most impoverished provinces.<\/p>\n
A nearly three-decades-long war between Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) rebels and the government has rendered many development
\nschemes undertaken in the past worthless.<\/p>\n
Last December, the two sides signed a peace agreement but
\nafter five months the province now finds itself once again on the
\nbrink of war.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/german-legislators-urge-halt-to-leuser-road-plan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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