Govt expands reforestation to 21 catchment areas<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government has decided to expand the reforestation program
\nfrom 17 critical catchment areas to 21 across the archipelago
\nover five years between 2003 and 2007 to help reduce widespread
\nnatural disasters.<\/p>\n
Deputy Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Farid
\nHusain, in charge of health and environment, said on Friday that
\nthe expansion was needed to improve the condition of the critical
\ncatchment areas.<\/p>\n
\"We have raised enough funds to do so,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost after attending a meeting on anti-HIV\/AIDS measures with
\nother ministries.<\/p>\n
The reforestation program will cover 3 million hectares of
\ndegraded land and be conducted gradually, with some 300,000
\nhectares be rehabilitated in 2003, 500,000 hectares in 2004,
\n600,000 hectares in 2005, about 700,000 hectares in 2006 and
\n900,000 hectares in 2007.<\/p>\n
Farid said the funds would be provided from the reforestation
\nfunds, state budget, provincial budgets and other sources.<\/p>\n
State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim has
\nrepeatedly said the government had allotted some Rp 15 trillion
\n(US$1.67 billion) to carry out the reforestation program for five
\nyears.<\/p>\n
For this year's program, the government had allocated Rp 1.6
\ntrillion to conduct the reforestation program, Farid said.<\/p>\n
The rehabilitated catchment areas in Sumatra this year will
\ncover Ambar Kampas, Tulang Bawang and Way Sekampung in Lampung,
\nAsahan in North Sumatra, Kampar in Riau, Kuantan and Masang
\nAntokan in West Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Bengawan Solo, Luk Ulo and Serang Lusi in Central Java, Opak
\nOyo in Yogyakarta, Brantas in East Java, Ciliwung in Jakarta and
\nWest Java, Cimanuk, Cisadane and Citarum in West Java are the
\ncatchment areas targeted to be reforested in Java.<\/p>\n
In Kalimantan, Barito catchment area in South Kalimantan is
\nthe target of the reforestation program this year.<\/p>\n
The rest are Jeneberang Klara and Walanae in South Sulawesi,
\nLimboto in Gorontalo and Tondano in North Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Several regencies and municipalities have also been determined
\nas the location of the reforestation program.<\/p>\n
For example, in Bengawan Solo catchment area, regencies like
\nBlora, Boyolali, Karanganyar, Grobogan, Klaten, Rembang, Sragen,
\nSemarang, Wonogiri, and Sukoharjo have been named.<\/p>\n
\"For this year, at least 300 million seeds will be cultivated
\nin the 300,000 hectares of degraded land,\" Farid said.<\/p>\n
The reforestation program will also involve military officers,
\nwho will join local people in growing the seeds.<\/p>\n
Rampant deforestation, particularly illegal logging
\nactivities, have been blamed for natural disasters, such as
\nflooding, drought and landslides, which hit the country over the
\npast five months.<\/p>\n
According to the government, between January 2002 and March
\n2003, there were 229 disasters in the country, claiming more than
\n505 lives and forcing more than one million others to flee their
\nhomes.<\/p>\n
The losses due to natural disasters between 1991 and 2000
\nreached US$17.6 billion.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-expands-reforestation-to-21-catchment-areas-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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