Environmentalists call for an end to deforestation
Environmentalists call for an end to deforestation
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Environmentalists met with People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
chairman Amien Rais and his deputy, Kholil Bisri, on Tuesday to
demand that political pressure be put on military and police
personnel to stop illegal logging throughout the country.
The activists said military and police personnel were backing
illegal logging across the country, making it difficult to end
the criminal practice without the aid of political pressure.
"Illegal logging causes economic and ecological losses to the
state. We need a strong commitment from lawmakers (to stop this
practice)," said Henny Buftheim of the Greencom environmental
group on Tuesday.
Fellow activist Jatna Suprijatna warned that the forest's
destruction would have a snowball effect, namely the
deterioration of the nation's biodiversity.
He added that uncontrolled deforestation had contributed to
US$4 billion in state losses per year.
Jatna said that there was about Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million
in state losses for each cubic meter of trees felled due to
illegal logging.
Illegal logging also has a devastating impact on sustaining
biodiversity. Every cubic meter of trees felled means Rp 10
million in state losses, he said.
He noted that the rate of deforestation had reached more than
two million hectares per year.
Meantime, Agus Setiyarso from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
said that his office had been monitoring illegal logging in some
regencies in West Kalimantan and Riau for the past four years and
had learned that illegal logging was sponsored by businessmen
from Malaysia.
Citing data from the Ministry of Forestry, the forest in West
Kalimantan can tolerate logging of no more than 400,000 cubic
meters per year.
But Agus disclosed that logging activities reached 4 million
cubic meters per year in the province.
"This means the amount of logging that has been done is ten
times more than the tolerable proportions. The supply for the
next generation has already been chopped down," Agus said.
Henny, Jatna, and Agus called for an evaluation of the work of
local administrations to avoid further deforestation. "I think
several regents deserve a jail sentence (for helping illegal
loggers)," Agus said.
Responding to the activists, Amien said Assembly leaders
shared the same opinion as environmental activists but could
offer no solution.
"We are in the same boat and we are very much concerned about
the diminishing forests," Amien said.
Deforestation in the period of 1985 - 1997
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Areas size of forest size of forest percent
1985 1997
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Sumatra 22,938,825 16,430,300 - 28
Java 1,274,600 1,869,675 47
Bali 96,450 76,700 - 20
Nusa Tenggara 686,775 450,450 - 34
Kalimantan 39,644,025 29,637,475 - 25
Sulawesi 11,192,950 7,950,900 - 29
Maluku 5,790,800 5,820,975 - 1
Irian Jaya 35,192,725 33,382,475 - 5
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Source: Madani Journal, February-April 2003