Poor law enforcement blamed for fires<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Poor law enforcement contributed to the spread
\nof forest fires in the country between 1997 and 1998, a United
\nNations official said Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The law (forest protection) is in place, but the enforcement
\nof the law is nonexistent,\" Klaus Toepfer, Acting Executive
\nDirector of UN Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS-Habitat) said,
\nadding that in the absence of strict law enforcement a rerun of
\nthe disastrous forest fires of 1997\/1998 could happen.<\/p>\n
His warning came on the sidelines of the National Consultation
\non Indonesian Forest Fires held by the state minister of Housing
\nand Settlement Office in cooperation with UNCHS-Habitat and the
\nUN Development Program (UNDP).<\/p>\n
The government named 173 companies suspected of starting land-
\nclearing fires which contributed to the protracted forest fires
\nin 1997\/1998, the worst ever to hit the country, but no ban or
\nother heavy punishment were imposed on them.<\/p>\n
The 1997\/1998 fires affected 9.5 million hectares, with total
\nlosses amounting to US$9.3 billion.<\/p>\n
Toepfer suggested the government carry out proper monitoring
\nof concessionaires' and plantation owners' activities.<\/p>\n
\"With technological advancement, such as remote sensing
\ntechnology, the government could single out the black sheep
\n(companies) that cause forest fires,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He praised the cooperation between Indonesia and its
\nneighboring countries to control forest fires in Kalimantan and
\nSumatra prior to the Southeast Asian Games in Brunei Darussalam
\nlast August.<\/p>\n
Another speaker Anne Birgittee Albrectsen, UNDP Resident
\nRepresentative Ad Interim, said government institutions lacked
\ncoordination in implementing forest fire prevention and control
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
\"Coordination difficulties and overlapping authorities have
\nbeen a hindrance in establishing a comprehensive and well
\ncoordinated national forest fire prevention system,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She called for concerted team work between the government
\ninstitutions and all level of communities, and for a continuous
\nprogram of awareness building in local communities.<\/p>\n
Albrectsen also warned of the possibility of another long
\ndrought resulting from the El Nino phenomenon which has changed
\nthe dry season cycles.<\/p>\n
\"This year forest fires were insignificant compared to the
\nones which occurred in 1997\/1998,\" she said, adding that nature
\nhad offered some help by bringing rain to put out the fire.<\/p>\n
She said that the rain had prevented the spread of the fires.<\/p>\n
Since the economic crisis, most of the fires were started by
\nsmall scale farmers and plantation owners, she added.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, it was reported that hot spots had spread
\nto forest and plantation areas in all 12 provinces of Sumatra and
\nKalimantan. Most of the fires have died down recently due to
\nrainfall in the area. (02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poor-law-enforcement-blamed-for-fires-1447893297",
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