EU praises East Kalimantan's forest project

Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Redeb

The European Union (EU) hailed its forest management pilot project in Berau, East Kalimantan as one of the world's best but it has yet to yet to decide whether the project will be extended, pending further discussion.

Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia Luk Darras could not decide yet whether to continue the Berau Forest Management Project (BFMP) when it expired in March next year.

Belgium now holds the EU presidency.

"I cannot come to a conclusion yet because it has to be discussed with all members of the Union," Darras said in the Berau regency capital, Tanjung Redeb, last week.

He was speaking on behalf of the EU delegation, comprising ambassadors and representatives of the EU, who paid a three-day working visit to the location in a bid to obtain a first-hand impression of the EU-Indonesia-funded project.

Established in 1996, BFMP is a six-year US$15 million project with the EU providing $10 million, and the Indonesian government responsible for the remainder. State-owned forest company PT Inhutani 1 serves as a partner at an operational level.

The project is intended to demonstrate how a tropical forest can be sustainably managed.

The pilot project is being implemented on 72 hectares of land in the forest concession owned by the state company in Lebanan, 30 kilometers southwest of Tanjung Redeb.

BFMP and Perhutani have carried out research into sustainable forest management and have jointly implemented the results of the research together with the local community, nongovernmental organizations and government officials.

The project has reportedly managed to reduce illegal logging because the local people could benefit from the forest.

Elsewhere in the country, illegal logging is widespread because local people fail to benefit from forest operations in their respective areas.

"After days of observation, I found this (Berau) project very good and useful.

"I can see everyone -- from local and foreign experts, local official and NGOs -- working together. That's a good thing," Darras added.

Darras said he expected the project could become a model for other parts of the country.

Berau Regent Masjuni admitted that the project had brought benefits to his area and people as it provided useful research on how to benefit from the forest without destroying it.

"Over the last two years, many of our local people have been included in the training, both domestic and international," he said.

"That's very useful. I hope they will continue the project."

East Kalimantan has a total of 15 million hectares of forest, 30 percent of which is virgin forest.

However, due to massive illegal logging and a lack of reforestation programs, there are over six million hectares in the region alone that have become critical.