Govt 'egoism' cited in environmental damage<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Egoism in government agencies and the resulting
\ncompetition among their vested interests are significant factors
\nin environmental destruction and chaotic conservation management,
\nenvironmentalists said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The weak excuse of the lack of resources to cover the vast
\narchipelago has been relied upon to answer critics' accusations
\nthe government lacked seriousness about conservation management,
\na report by the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL)
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
It stated, however, that \"a more basic issue is sectoral
\negoism, either in or between departments in charge of
\nconservation management... and other agencies with interests in
\nexploitation of conservation areas\".<\/p>\n
It cited the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations and its
\nrelated government agencies. Among several instances of
\nenvironmental destruction, the report referred to the forest
\nfires of 1997 and 1998 which destroyed 627,280 hectares.<\/p>\n
Various policies and regulations have been conveniently used,
\nsometimes in contradiction of each other, to justify large scale
\nexploitation, the report said.<\/p>\n
The report championed decentralization as essential to save
\nfast-deteriorating natural resources and the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
\"Significant changes in regulations have to be made soon.
\nOverlapping policies resulting in chaotic management of natural
\nconservation must be stopped,\" said Sulaiman N. Sembiring, head
\nof case advocacy at ICEL.<\/p>\n
He cited mining at the Kutai National Park in East Kalimantan
\nand the Lorentz National Park in Irian Jaya, an activity illegal
\naccording to the 1990 law on conservation of living resources and
\nthe ecosystem.<\/p>\n
However, the activities were permitted according to a 1989
\njoint decree of the forestry ministry and the mines and energy
\nministry, he said. It regulates mining activities in forest
\nareas.<\/p>\n
The 1990 law should include recognition and guarantee of local
\npeople's rights and participation in conservation activities, and
\naccess to information concerning natural conservation areas,
\nSembiring said. \"We all know that the centralized policy on
\nnatural conservation has failed.\"<\/p>\n
In his presentation on the study conducted from last September
\nto January, Sembiring said the 1990 law referred to the
\nresponsibilities of provincial governments, but no subsequent
\nregulations were ever drawn up to put them into effect.<\/p>\n
Clause 38 of the law states the government can delegate part
\nof its tasks to provincial or regional governments for the
\npurpose of conservation.<\/p>\n
Sembiring also said the 1989 decree on mining in forest areas
\nregulated that protected areas under exploration at the time they
\nwere proposed for national park status could be exempted from the
\n1990 law.<\/p>\n
Sembiring noted that since the joint decision came into
\neffect, private companies used it to justify exploration of
\nprotected areas. He called for the 1989 decree to be revoked.<\/p>\n
ICEL coordinator Mas Achmad Santosa urged the government to
\nsoon establish policies for democratic and transparent natural
\nresource management.<\/p>\n
Yaman Mulyana, program director of the Directorate General on
\nNatural Conservation and Protection of the forestry ministry,
\nsaid the ministry was preparing technical guidance on the use of
\nnatural conservation areas in conjunction with non-governmental
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
Recent hardwood looting in protected forests in Jepara,
\nCentral Java, he said, reflected low environmental awareness due
\nto lack of information.<\/p>\n
Sembiring countered that backing of authorities and parties
\nseeking profit were also responsible. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-egoism-cited-in-environmental-damage-1447893297",
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