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.