Environmental issues put on back burner: WWF
JAKARTA (JP): As Sumatra fires raise the threat of smoke haze, environmentalists have criticized political parties for their lack of commitment to conservation issues.
Hery Akhmadi of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), who moderated a discussion between politicians and environmentalists on Tuesday, acknowledged some parties had environmental platforms, but that they were yet to release them to the public.
Nabiel Makarim, former deputy chief of the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency and National Mandate Party (PAN) politician, concurred.
"There is indeed an image that political parties are not committed to preserving the environment as the Indonesian Environmental Forum has said," he told Antara.
A representative of the National Awakening Party (PKB) acknowledged his party did not have detailed plans on conservation issues.
Political observer Arbi Sanit, who spoke along with Agus Purnomo of the WWF, said nongovernmental organizations needed to target local communities in the regions.
"Environmental issues are local problems, so advocacy must be directed toward local chapters of political parties and administrations.
"The environmental issues as local problems will gain prominence once the law granting regional administrations full autonomy comes into effect," he said.
The discussion was also attended by the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR) and the Justice and Unity Party (PKP).
Meanwhile, Antara reported from Bandarlampung in Lampung that much of the province's 1.23 million hectares of forest had been damaged and needed comprehensive attention involving local people and authorities.
In a discussion on Monday attended by activists, scholars, researchers, officials and students, it was revealed how irresponsible land clearing became more widespread during the reform era.
"Has the reform movement been misunderstood as authorization for people to damage the forest as they will?" one participant asked. "The ecosystem has become unbalanced and natural disasters are now on our threshold. Protected animals lost their habitat so they have been forced to foray into human settlements, to the danger of humans themselves." a participant at the discussion said.
The news agency reported that over the past several months Tanggamus residents in West Lampung had been mauled to death by Sumatran tigers forced to seek food away from their forest habitat.
Heru Rahardjo of the Bukit Barisan Military Command revealed an increase in illegal felling over the past several months, resulting in the rampage of herds of wild elephants and the deaths of several people.
In another report, Antara said the forest in Indragiri Hulu regency in Riau province had sustained serious damage, after it caught fire several days ago.
Forestry official Hassan said the 25,000 hectare Bukit Betabuh protected forest, located on the border of Riau and West Sumatra, has been burning continually over the past four days.
It was reported from Singapore on Monday that satellite images showed a rise in forest fire "hot spots" in Sumatra, raising the threat of smoke haze in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia.
Experts said the fires were close to logging tracks and plantations in Central Sumatra.
Fires in Central Sumatra earlier this month sent Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) to its highest level in a year. (swe)