Experts call for natural resource management law

JAKARTA (JP): A law on integrated natural resource management is needed to synchronize government policies and put to rest competing interests, experts concluded in a seminar here yesterday.

Agrarian law expert Maria S.W. Sumardjono and green activist Chalid Muhammad agreed it was time the government and the House of Representatives introduced the legislation.

"Without a clear concept on how to manage the existing natural resources, competition to win the authority to regulate (resource allocations among ministries) will go on, with all its implications," Maria said.

"In the absence of a blueprint of priorities, officials will just compete to be 'populists' and give whatever people want, and this will only be good for a short time."

Maria said many government policies related to natural resources "encroached" upon one another, at the expense of people's interests.

She noted how people living on plots of idle land in a forest could not obtain land titles from the land agency because the area was still considered forest and subject to the forestry law.

"There should be an 'umbrella law' (to synchronize policies)," she said.

Chalid, a member of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi), concurred that existence of the law would eliminate the need for assorted ministries dealing with the matter.

"The country will need only one ministry, namely the natural resource management ministry, with several directorate general offices like for mines and energy, agrarian affairs, forestry and plantation.

"This could save the state a lot of cash," he said.

Both were speaking in a two-day seminar and workshop on legal reform in the country's natural resources management. The event was coorganized by the Indonesian center for Environmental Law (ICEL), USAID, UNDP, the Ford Foundation and the University of Indonesia.

Opened by Minister of Justice Muladi, it featured speakers from the ministries of mines and energy, forestry and plantation and dozens of participants from universities and non-governmental organizations.

Other speakers were Mas Achmad Santosa of ICEL, the University of Indonesia's expert on spatial planning Arie S. Hutagalung and forestry expert Hasanu Simon of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University.

In his paper, Santosa blamed the government for showing only "pseudo political will" regarding natural resource management strategies.

Santosa said: "The concept of sustainable development in the State Guidelines is almost perfect, but (it declines) when it comes to laws and other government regulations." (aan)