Govt faces tough job of restoring Aceh environment

Govt faces tough job of restoring Aceh environment

Tony Hotland
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

With the initial danger of disease outbreaks under control in
post-tsunami Aceh, government officials are now working to
identify dangerous areas so the lives of survivors and aid
workers are not put at risk.

Speaking during a hearing with legislators on Wednesday, State
Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said his office was
working on a rapid environmental assessment of urgent issues that
needed to be considered when reconstructing Aceh.

"We're assessing the locations of spilled toxic materials,
damaged soils, areas prone to landslides and other vital factors
so that agencies, like the Ministry of Public Works and donor
bodies, know where the safe areas are to build. We're also
drafting a city arrangement plan that considers environmental
standards," he said.

The environmental impact of the disaster, Rachmat said, was
estimated to have cost Indonesia about US$500 million, mostly
because of damage to agricultural and forestry land as well as to
coral reefs and mangrove reserves.

He explained that one of the priorities was the restoration of
mangrove forests along the coastal areas to help hold back big
waves -- not necessarily tsunamis -- and also as conservation and
water catchment areas.

"Ideally, the (mangrove) forests are between 50 and 200 meters
wide. But we need to keep in mind that we still need to provide
road access to the sea as many of those affected by the disaster
were coastal fishermen, and we can't just ignore them," Rachmat
said.

Another priority, he said, was the immediate clean-up of
garbage and water sources.

"A quick assessment also shows there is the potential of waste
contamination from destroyed hospitals, laboratories and
industries in Banda Aceh," Rachmat said.

The minister said the worst environmental damage occurred in
the area lying from the first two kilometers from the coast,
while the worst environmental pollution was between two and three
kilometers inland.

"Environmental damage can also be caused by the current relief
and rehabilitation efforts, such as the sanitation problems with
refugee camp refuse and the piling up of tsunami debris," Rachmat
said.

He said the rehabilitation process there could take up to five
years, and suggested that representatives from the environmental
office be part of the reconstruction team to ensure these issues
would not be ignored.