Forest damage covers 45 million ha

Forest damage covers 45 million ha

KUPANG, West Nusa Tenggara: About 43 million hectares of
forests in Indonesia have been destroyed, and the destruction
continues at the pace of 1.6 million hectares annually.

According to the chief of the forestry ministry's research and
development agency in Kupang, Hari Pasaribu, the damage is due to
widespread illegal logging by local communities and timber
companies.

He said that to prevent further forest destruction, the
government had issued a regulation on the management of forests
in the country as part of the global need to conserve the
environment.

"This regulation will serve as a guideline for future forest
development with the main targets of eliminating illegal logging,
controlling forest fires, rehabilitating and conserving forest
resources, restructuring the forestry sector and strengthening
forestry decentralization," explained Pasaribu.--Antara