Bira environmental study could set precedent

Bira environmental study could set precedent

By Hisar Sitanggang

JAKARTA (Antara): What would have become of the hundreds of
little islands of the Seribu group, to Jakarta's north, had the
case of the destruction of Bira Besar Island not come to public
attention?

The concern that has been aired over the worsening
environmental conditions in the Seribu islands could be an
indication of a growing awareness regarding the importance a
sound environment as Jakartans celebrate the 468th anniversary of
their city.

The concerns over the fate of the Seribu islands deserve to be
aired because, it seems, the majority of Indonesians are quite
uneducated regarding the question of how to manage small islands.

"Actually, so far, we have been in the dark as to how to
improve environmental conditions on small islands, so that we
must learn from the (environmental) audit findings on Bira Besar
Island," said State Minister for the Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja.

The minister apparently based his observation on the
inclination of many Indonesians to take environmental matters
lightly and to act only when the problem has reached a critical
stage, as is the case with Bira. The environmental damage which
has occurred on the 29-hectare island only came to the notice --
and criticism -- of various parties after it had come to
President Soeharto's attention.

On Bira Besar Island a golf course and a number of structures
were built before the required Environmental Impact Analysis had
been completed. This, it would appear, reflects a certain
careless attitude on the part of the island's management with
regard to environmental matters.

As a consequence, environmental damage occurred, notably to
the coral reefs around the island. Coral flourishes in sea water
with temperatures of between 18 and 36 degrees Celsius in depths
of 20 to 40 meters, but it grows at an average of only between
0.2 cm and 4 cm per year.

Actually, according to Lukman F. Mokoginto, who is the vice
chairman of the National Association of Indonesian Consultants,
there have been long-standing complaints about other
environmental damage similar to that inflicted on the coral
around Bira. It is only now, however, that the problem is being
addressed, with a reassessment of the Bira Besar Environmental
Impact Analysis.

"An environmental audit on Bira Besar Island is an absolute
requirement," Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said.

As a consequence the golf course development may eventually be
approved by the Jakarta municipality's Environmental Impact
Analysis Commission. Nevertheless, an independent audit will
still be mandatory. The island's management, PT Pulau Seribu
Paradise, will be required to appoint an independent consultant
and to bear the costs of the study, said Sarwono.

The question is: are there any consultants in Indonesia who
are able and qualified to do environmental audits? As instruments
for preventing environmental damage, environmental impact
analyses are at present not being executed with the desired
degree of professionalism and often give the impression that they
are merely complementary side shows of projects.

Sarwono says that his office has a list of environmental audit
consultants whose credibility is assured and that their names
could be recommended to the management of the Bira project.

"The environmental audit consultant which is to be used by the
Bira Besar Island management must meet the fixed criteria. They
must be open, possess a good frame of reference and possess
qualified experts to do the job," said Minister Sarwono.

"The findings of the (government's) study and the amendments
will merely serve as input for the conduct of the environmental
audit," he said.

The Seribu Group

But how does the environment fare on the little islands that
make up the Seribu group? Is it only Bira whose environment has
been damaged?

The seas surrounding the Seribu archipelago occupy a surface
area of about 110,000 hectares. The land surface of the 105
islands together is about 888,44 hectares and is inhabited by
about 14,000 people. Six islands -- Pulau Air Kecil, Pulau Payung
Kecil, Pulau Ubi Besar, Pulau Ubi Kecil, Pulau Dapur and Pulau
Gosong Pabelokan -- have disappeared under the sea.

Of the 105 islands, 45, including Bira Besar and Pulau Cina,
have been earmarked for tourism and recreation, while nine others
have been designated for housing development. A major cause of
environmental damage in the area is reportedly pilfering of the
coral reefs to obtain construction materials, either for use in
buildings, landfills and sea walls, or for sale. Other causes are
sand quarrying along the shores and shallows, fishing using
potassium, shallow ground water exploitation and illicit treasure
hunting.

Another problem to which the authorities should give attention
is unauthorized land sales to individuals, which could lead to
violations of the existing land-use regulations. In January 1990,
for example, the Jakarta city administration was forced to
demolish buildings on Pulau Macan and in May 1991 similar
measures had to be taken on Pulau Kudus. Unauthorized building
has also taken place on some other islands.

National Park

The Seribu islands were designated a National Park by Decree
of the Minister of Agriculture No. 736/X/1982. The park is
divided into several of zones.

The innermost Central Zone is designated for the protection of
the area's indigenous flora and fauna, including sea turtles
which have their natural habitat around the islands Gosong
Rengat, Peteloran Timur, Peteloran Barat, Penjaliran Timur and
Penjaliran Barat.

The central zone also includes the coral reefs which grow
around the islands Belanda and Kayu Angin Bira, as well as the
mangrove forests on Penjaliran Timur and Penjaliran Barat. The
central zone is closed to visitors, except for purposes of
scientific research, for which a special permit is required.

A Protection Zone which extends around this area serves as a
buffer to the central zone and includes areas with ecosystems
which are open to limited use. A third zone, the Utilization
Zone, surrounds this protection zone and is reserved for marine
tourism development. A Supporting Zone, the outermost, is
reserved for the development of natural resources and their
traditional use by the local community. Human habitation is
restricted to this area.

According to Minister Sarwono, it is possible that after Pulau
Bira Besar, other islands in the group will be subjected to
environmental assessments. "Islands that require (environmental)
auditing will be audited," the minister said.

Minister Sarwono's remarks may be taken as a signal to
property owners in the Seribu Islands that they should take
environmental matters more seriously. Sarwono, conceded, however,
that a lot of construction work had been done in the area before
environmental impact analyses became a legal requirement for
development. As a result, many existing structures are in fact in
violation of the new regulations.

The capacity of the Seribu islands to support their population
is becoming more and more limited. Between 1991 and 1995 the
population of the islands grew by an average of 1.01 percent per
year. During the same period the number of islands inhabited
increased from 11 to 15.

"For the present, environmental problems in the Seribu islands
will be tackled on a case-by-case basis, although it is true that
they should be managed as a whole," said Jakarta Governor Surjadi
Soedirdja.

The fact is that environmental conditions on practically all
of the little islands in the Seribu group are in need of
improvement and greater protection. The Bira environmental impact
assessment should provide a good model to follow.