Riau intent on putting a stop to rampant deforestation<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau<\/p>\n
Riau plans to review its forestry policy to curb rampant illegal
\nlogging, which contributes to regular flooding in the resource-
\nrich province, its governor says.<\/p>\n
Governor Rusli Zainal said the number of forest concessions
\ngiven to businessmen and timber companies was too high and out of
\nproportion to the size of forests in the province.<\/p>\n
\"There is no other alternative but to reduce the number of
\nforest concessions given to timber and plywood companies to
\nrational numbers in an attempt to salvage the province's
\nvanishing forests,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rusli, who became governor several months ago, was speaking at
\nan award ceremony for companies developing zero accident
\npolicies.<\/p>\n
He said he would consult with officials and the regencies to
\nre-evaluate the province's development policies on forestry.
\nDeforestation had drastically increased during the past two
\ndecades, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The vanishing forests have a lot to do with the issue of too
\nmany forest concessions and the great number of sawmills and
\nother factories using wood as a raw material,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He had received reports that many concession-holders and
\nsawmills partly sourced their raw materials from illegal logging
\nin protected areas.<\/p>\n
\"Environmental activists and the media have stressed the
\nprevalence of illegal logging, which has damaged the environment
\nand contributed to annual floods, but local administrations
\ncontinue to keep silent,\" Rusli said.<\/p>\n
The governor conceded there was something lacking in the
\nprovince's forestry policy. Despite the rapidly vanishing
\nforests, the volume of log exports from the province appeared to
\nhave accelerated while sawmills and pulp mills continued to
\nincrease their production capacity.<\/p>\n
\"I have no data at hand, but based on reports I have received
\nand after several tours of the field, I feel there need to be
\nconcrete measures to salvage the environment and to promote a
\nsustainable development program,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The province has been facing floods and landslides almost
\nannually during the rainy season.<\/p>\n
Forest areas in the province are home to millions of species
\nof rare flora and fauna. More than half of Riau's forests have
\nalready vanished -- converted to palm oil plantations and
\nfarmland.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/riau-intent-on-putting-a-stop-to-rampant-deforestation-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}