'Stop converting forest into plantation'<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are urging the government
\nto stop converting forests into palm oil plantations, warning
\nthat the conversion would spark forest fires and floods.<\/p>\n
Sawit Watch and the Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi) said
\na halt to forest conversion was necessary due to the many
\ndisasters prompted by palm oil plantations which, along with
\nrubber plantations, now covers a total area of some 8.55 million
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
\"The increase in forest conversions into palm oil plantations
\nhas reached 200,000 hectares per year since 1997, when we saw
\nwidespread forest fires because of the slash-and-burn land
\nclearing methods used by palm oil plantation companies,\" said
\nRudi Ready Lemuru, Coordinator of Sawit Watch, on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Rudi was speaking at a public expose of research on forest
\nconversions into palm oil plantations in the areas surrounding
\nLake Sentarum and Mount Meratus in Kalimantan, where forest
\nconversion has reached alarming levels.<\/p>\n
In 1997, Indonesia suffered billions of dollars in losses from
\nenvironmental destruction caused by the worst forest fires in the
\ncountry, mainly triggered by palm oil plantation companies
\nburning down forests to clear the land for palm oil crops, said
\nRudi.<\/p>\n
Since then, the slash-and-burn method had been prohibited, but
\nthe practice continued, he said, as was evident in Central
\nKalimantan last year.<\/p>\n
Many hot spots had also been found in palm oil plantations,
\nwhich could lead to fires, stated Walhi.<\/p>\n
\"Many areas have also experienced floods because of the
\nconversion policy,\" Rudi said, saying the worst floods occurred
\nin Entikong, Sekayang, Beduai, Kembayan and other areas in
\nKalimantan last year, which caused some Rp 6 billion in losses.<\/p>\n
Indonesian forest destruction has forged ahead unchecked
\nbecause of various activities such as illegal logging, mining and
\nthe forest conversion policy.<\/p>\n
The annual rate of deforestation has been estimated at two
\nmillion hectares annually, without any effective measures from
\nthe government to stop it. The government is currently assessing
\na conversion proposal of 30 million hectares of forest.<\/p>\n
Rudi said if the government did not stop its conversion
\npolicy, the country would continue to experience chronic natural
\ndisasters, such as forest fires and flooding.<\/p>\n
\"Please don't proceed with the plan to realize the ambition of
\nbecoming the world's largest palm oil producer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
At present, Indonesia is the second largest palm oil producer
\nafter Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Citing a satellite image research on forest conversion into
\npalm oil plantations in the Lake Sentarum area, researcher Sri
\nHardiyanti said the plantation areas had increased by 91,000
\nhectares over a period of only six years, from a mere 3,000
\nhectares in 1994 to 94,000 hectares in 2000.<\/p>\n
Besides a drastic increase in plantation area, several
\nplantations around Lake Sentarum had also reached into protected
\nforest areas, but with no legal measures being taken against the
\nplantation company, she said.<\/p>\n
\"The total forest area there has now rapidly reduced since
\n1994 by 205,000 hectares, from 528,300 hectares to 323,000
\nhectares,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Around Mt. Mentarus, she said, some 43,000 hectares of forest
\nhad been made into plantations since 1994, enlarging the total
\narea of plantations from 86,000 hectares to 129,000 hectares.<\/p>\n
In addition, the forest areas surrounding Mt. Mentarus had
\nalso shrunk by a total of 350,000 hectares, from 1,337,000 to
\n987,000 hectares, she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/stop-converting-forest-into-plantation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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