Most lakes' ecosystems under threat: Minister<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
Severe chemical pollution threatens most lakes in the country and
\nhas the potential to create further environmental disasters, a
\nstate minister says.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, State Minister for the Environment Rachmat
\nWitoelar said that the Jempang, Semayang and Melintang lakes in
\nEast Kalimantan province, home to the rare Mahakam pesut -- a
\nhighly endangered freshwater dolphin species -- required urgent
\nattention if there was to be any chance of saving them.<\/p>\n
He said that a similar problem had occurred in Lake Toba, North
\nSumatra, where the carp population continued to drop following
\nthe deaths of fish weighing thousands of tons due to koi herpes.<\/p>\n
\"Most of the lakes in Indonesia have been polluted by various
\nchemicals originating from pulp, oil and fertilizer plants. The
\nimpact on the environment has been huge,\" said Rachmat on the
\nsidelines of a national seminar held at the HKBP Nomensen
\nUniversity, Medan, on coping with the fish kills in Lake Toba.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, he said, had a total of about 500 large and small
\nlakes -- both natural and artificial. Among the lakes, Toba was
\nthe biggest in the country, covering some 110,260 hectares, while
\nthe deepest lake was Matano, with a depth of 600 meters.<\/p>\n
He told reporters after the seminar that his office had drawn
\nup a blacklist of 43 companies across the country, nine of them
\nstate-owned, that were responsible for polluting lakes.<\/p>\n
\"I have reprimanded them, and if in six months time the
\nsituation hasn't improved, we'll revoke their Environmental
\nImpact Assessment Permits,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In relation to the problems being experienced at Lake Toba,
\nthe minister said there was a need for proper management to
\nensure that the lake's ecosystem was capable of functioning as a
\nlife support system, guarantee the preservation of its various
\nbiological components and sustain the benefits produced by the
\nlake.<\/p>\n
Rahmat stressed that action was urgently needed bearing in
\nmind that greater attention was being paid to lakes as evidenced
\nby the setting up of World Lake Vision, which was launched by the
\nInternational Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) at the third
\nWorld Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan, in mid March, 2003.<\/p>\n
International commitments on the preservation of lake
\necosystems had been adopted by virtue of the World Summit on
\nSustainable Development Plan of Implementation, the Biodiversity
\nConvention and the Ramsar Convention.<\/p>\n
\"To give effect to all these (commitments), the environment
\nministry is preparing an Indonesian Lake Vision concept which
\nwill serve as a guide for officials in attempting to achieve
\nsustainable lake management in Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/most-lakes-ecosystems-under-threat-minister-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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