A threat to the environment

A threat to the environment

The Seribu Islands in the Bay of Jakarta once again became the focus of the public's attention when Minister for the Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja submitted a report to the President on Friday.

The minister expressed his deep concern over the local impact of the construction of a nine-hole golf course on Bira Island, which is located inside the Seribu Islands Natural Park. For the golf course many trees were felled, much fresh water is being extracted from the soil and many chemical fertilizers are being used, thus endangering the fresh water supply and contaminating the island's environment.

We can learn a good deal from this case, just as we can learn from the development of the Puncak highlands and the North Bandung area, where many real estate projects and luxury houses have been built.

We must pay heed to such developments and be more careful in the future. We support the minister of the environment's opinion that we should not disregard the Bira Island case because it is a small island. It is precisely because Bira is a small island that we must be careful in managing it.

We hope the Bira Island case is not an manifestation of arrogance on the part of some rich businessmen. The private control over islands and large tracts of land can endanger the environment as well as give rise to envy among the people.

-- Jayakarta, Jakarta