Govt warned of catasrophe from mining in protected forests<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
An expert on the environment has warned the government of
\npermanent environmental devastation if coal and oil mining in
\neight protected forests in Central Kalimantan continues.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists who cover issue relating to the
\nenvironment at a seminar organized by the World Wide Fund for
\nNature (WWF) in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Dr. Hariadi
\nKartodiharjo -- a lecturer of the forestry faculty and of the
\npost graduate program at the Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) --
\nsaid that the nation would pay the price if the mining activities
\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
Support from local administrations in the province for mining
\noperations would definitely cause permanent devastation of the
\nenvironment, raise the threat of the extinction of rare species
\nand decrease water supply to the 900-kilometer Barito River and
\nmillions of people living along the riverbank, he said as quoted
\nby Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
The damage would be irreversible and the government was
\naccountable. The international community and mainly the next
\ngeneration would experience the consequences, he added.<\/p>\n
Kartodiharjo expressed his deep disappointment with the
\nprovincial administration, which agreed to revise the province's
\nspatial zoning, in line with the issuance of concessions for
\nlocal and foreign mining companies to explore the protected
\nforests.<\/p>\n
He said the government had not taken the environment into
\nconsideration in providing the concessions as it would gain
\ntrillions of rupiah from the mining.<\/p>\n
This step would drastically reduce the protected forests'
\nsustainability, he said.<\/p>\n
The eight protected forests where mining activities are
\nunderway are situated in Batu Pao, Sungai Barito Ubun, Tumbang
\nLunmu, Datah Sapi, Tasang Butung, Lempunyat, Tumbang Olong and
\nTanjung Balai.<\/p>\n
Kartodiharjo said the government should reconsider its
\nprovision of mining concessions.<\/p>\n
If the government could not do so, he added, it should make
\nsure that commodities extracted from the forests would not affect
\nthe national stock and production capacity. The issue needed to
\nbe determined wisely and efficiently , he concluded.<\/p>\n
He added that mining activities should be managed
\nprofessionally and local communities should hold equal power with
\nstakeholders.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo
\nYusgiantoro said here on Friday that the government could no
\nlonger revoke concessions to mine protected forests given to 22
\nforeign companies.<\/p>\n
"All the companies, which secured their licenses during the
\nNew Order era, have built their own infrastructure at the
\nlocations, several have even started operation," he said,
\nexplaining that Indonesia would suffer greater losses if lawsuits
\nwere forthcoming.<\/p>\n
The issuance of mining concessions for the eight protected
\nforests are against the environmental law and forestry law and
\ncontrary to Ministerial Decree No. 535\/2001 on the ban on coal
\nmining in the province and Ministerial Decree No. 535\/2001 on
\nrequirements for oil mining in remote areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-warned-of-catasrophe-from-mining-in-protected-forests-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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