Govt to revamp spatial planning for Java

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will issue a regulation on spatial planning in Java in a bid to minimize environmental damage on the densely populated island.

Minister of Regional Infrastructure and Resettlement Soenarno said on Monday the regulation would restrict conversion of farmland, plantations and forests into construction projects.

"We have recorded that some one million hectares of these types of land have been converted into construction projects, which causes massive environmental damage on the island," Soenarno said after a limited Cabinet meeting at the presidential palace.

"With the regulation we expect to claim back around 20 percent of the converted land for the environment's sake," the minister said. The regulation is meant to regain the ideal 30 percent proportion of conservation area on the island.

He acknowledged that the decision would hurt several investments on the island as the regulation would force the government to review the contracts of several projects.

However, the minister claimed that almost 50 percent of the projects had not materialized, mostly due to financial restraints.

"We've learned that almost 50 percent of the house permits on the island have not been issued, which opens the possibility of revision," he said.

The regulation, slated to be issued later this month, will also ban further road construction along the northern coast of Java, which is a rice belt, but recommend construction to move to the south, which has less farmland.

Floods, landslides and other natural disasters resulting from environmental destruction have hit the main island of the country in past years. The latest major floods occurred in the West Java towns of Garut and Kuningan less than two weeks ago, claiming at least 30 lives.

The destruction of forests, farms and plantations on Java has reached an alarming level, with the land conversion rate up to 30,000 hectares annually.

Soenarno said the banks of 20 out of 22 rivers on the island had been damaged and needed rehabilitating to prevent further destruction.

Earlier this year, the disaster mitigation agency warned that more floods and landslides were likely to hit the island due to environmental damage.

"We have to immediately save the environment, and the regulation will require all local administrations to comply with the arrangement," the minister said.

To support the regulation, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has ordered the State Secretariat to review all laws and regulations regarding spatial planning.

During the Cabinet meeting, the government also decided to issue a presidential decree regarding spatial planning in 10 border areas of the country.

"With clear mapping we could prevent violations by foreigners, who take advantage of our natural resources in those areas," he said.