Dealing with the haze

Dealing with the haze

Just as many of us feared and expected, the haze hazard,
caused by the uncontrolled burning of forest and brushfires in a
number of areas across Indonesia, is back with us again. Some
experts even believe that given predictions of a hotter and
longer dry season this year, the threat of severe air pollution
in a number of regions in and around this country could well be
worse this time than in 1997.

To give a rough idea of what all this connotes, it may be
helpful to cite a number of facts concerning the 1997 forest and
brushfires, as observed by Indonesia's best known environmental
watchdog, the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi). According
to the Walhi report, the 1997 fires destroyed about 10 million
hectares (24.7 million acres) of forest, concessions and
plantations, causing a total loss of Rp 60 trillion (US$8.8
billion).

For six months, smoke from the fires blanketed an area of
three million square kilometers, including Singapore and parts of
Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia, as well as
Indonesia. In the areas affected, the haze disrupted
transportation and various other aspects of the population's
normal daily life and wreaked havoc on those countries' tourism.
Walhi warns that given this year's predicted drier weather
conditions, it could take just one month for the disaster to
develop the devastating levels of two years ago.

Already this week, with visibility reduced to 200 meters, the
haze compelled authorities in Riau province on the island of
Sumatra to declare a state of emergency for land, sea and air
traffic. The Riau office of the Ministry and Forestry and
Plantations acknowledged that the haze was obstructing safe
traffic in the Strait of Malacca. By yesterday, meanwhile,
officials reported a further reduction of land visibility to only
100 meters in Riau's provincial capital of Pekanbaru. As in 1997,
people were advised to wear masks and not to venture outside
their homes unless absolutely necessary.

Amid all this, official reports concerning the magnitude of
the disaster remain confusing to say the least. Walhi said
earlier this week that satellite images from the beginning of
August indicated 341 hot spots existed on the island of Sumatra
and 100 in Kalimantan, citing National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration data. According to an official of the National
Space and Flight Agency, however, satellite imaging showed 60 hot
spots in Kalimantan and only eight in Sumatra, although he added
that heavy cloud formations were obstructing proper imaging.

Whatever the case may be, this recurrence of the 1997
environmental disaster sends out a clear signal that much more
serious attention must be given to the preservation of our
environment -- our forests in particular. While logging
companies, plantation owners and others must be held responsible
for the proper management of our environmental resources, the
main responsibility rests with the government.

Unfortunately, thus far the government has done little to
rebuff the impression that it has concern for environmental
matters. But while the statistics of the damage done may serve as
a warning of the danger that is threatening one of our most
priceless natural resources, the protests that have been raised
by neighboring governments and environmentalists all over the
world over our handling of our forest resources is something
which our authorities cannot ignore.

Already, there are reports of foreign companies threatening to
boycott Indonesian palm oil products unless the government
effectively stops the widely used slash-and-burn method of land
clearing for agriculture. Brunei is reported to be threatening to
sue Indonesia for the haze problem it is causing in its airspace
and other fellow members of ASEAN are complaining -- so much so
in fact, that it is not too far-fetched to imagine it could erode
ASEAN's cherished principle of noninterference.

What all this amounts to is that it is high time that all
Indonesians, and notably the government, become aware of the
magnitude of the problem and start summoning a greater sense of
urgency to protect our environment -- not for the good of this
country alone, but for the region and the world.