Indonesia kills off one species every day: Official
Indonesia kills off one species every day: Official
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia, with the second-largest biodiversity in the world, has
been losing one species a day, and up to 70 percent of species'
original habitats in the last decade, a senior government
official has said.
Division head of biodiversity at the Office of the State
Minister of the Environment B. Satyawan Wardhana said on Tuesday
that the losses in biodiversity were due mainly to various types
of land conversion, pollution and invasion by other creatures.
"The threat will still continue at the same rate in the
future," he told The Jakarta Post in a special interview in
conjunction with World Biodiversity Day, to be marked on May 22.
The 2003 biodiversity day carries the theme, Biodiversity and
Poverty Alleviation, Challenges for Sustainable Development.
Satyawan said land conversion included forest conversion into
oil palm plantations, illegal logging and conversion of wetland
and farmland into real estate and for other uses.
The deforestation rate in the country has reportedly reached
2.4 million hectares per year.
The country is also reported to have over 3 million hectares
of oil palm plantations and plans to develop another 96,000
hectares this year.
Pollution comprises land, air and water pollution that can
kill plants and animals.
Creature invasion includes attacks on plants or animals due to
others, such as the water hyacinth (Eichornia erassipes), locally
known as enceng gondok, which can indirectly kill other plants
and fish.
In the case of land conversion, Satyawan said it was
impossible for the government simply to stop land conversion
before establishing better spatial planning, including
designating areas that could be converted.
The government should also enforce environment laws to fight
against any illegal land conversion as well as pollution, he
added.
Indonesia's land area covers only 1.3 percent of the world's
land, but it possesses up to 17 percent of the total number of
species of plants and animals in the world.
Its ecosystem ranges from icy land in Papua to lowland forest,
from deep lake to shallow swamps.
Indonesia also has the world's longest list of endangered
species, including 126 birds, 63 mammals, and 21 reptiles.
With such huge biodiversity, Indonesia is supposed to be able
to meet its staple food demand, but unfortunately at present the
country is becoming a major importer of rice, sugar and corn,
Satyawan said.
Indonesia should also be able to largely develop its
biodiversity for various purposes, such as cosmetic products and
medicine, but not many people realized it, he added.
About 40 million people in the country are still trapped in
poverty and unemployment.
The government, according to Satyawan, was still trying to
identify species that had economic value so that people could use
them for daily needs and business purposes.
"We also plan to promote the idea that biodiversity can help
the country eradicate poverty by being aware of its benefits and
making use of them," he said.
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia, with the second-largest biodiversity in the world, has
been losing one species a day, and up to 70 percent of species'
original habitats in the last decade, a senior government
official has said.
Division head of biodiversity at the Office of the State
Minister of the Environment B. Satyawan Wardhana said on Tuesday
that the losses in biodiversity were due mainly to various types
of land conversion, pollution and invasion by other creatures.
"The threat will still continue at the same rate in the
future," he told The Jakarta Post in a special interview in
conjunction with World Biodiversity Day, to be marked on May 22.
The 2003 biodiversity day carries the theme, Biodiversity and
Poverty Alleviation, Challenges for Sustainable Development.
Satyawan said land conversion included forest conversion into
oil palm plantations, illegal logging and conversion of wetland
and farmland into real estate and for other uses.
The deforestation rate in the country has reportedly reached
2.4 million hectares per year.
The country is also reported to have over 3 million hectares
of oil palm plantations and plans to develop another 96,000
hectares this year.
Pollution comprises land, air and water pollution that can
kill plants and animals.
Creature invasion includes attacks on plants or animals due to
others, such as the water hyacinth (Eichornia erassipes), locally
known as enceng gondok, which can indirectly kill other plants
and fish.
In the case of land conversion, Satyawan said it was
impossible for the government simply to stop land conversion
before establishing better spatial planning, including
designating areas that could be converted.
The government should also enforce environment laws to fight
against any illegal land conversion as well as pollution, he
added.
Indonesia's land area covers only 1.3 percent of the world's
land, but it possesses up to 17 percent of the total number of
species of plants and animals in the world.
Its ecosystem ranges from icy land in Papua to lowland forest,
from deep lake to shallow swamps.
Indonesia also has the world's longest list of endangered
species, including 126 birds, 63 mammals, and 21 reptiles.
With such huge biodiversity, Indonesia is supposed to be able
to meet its staple food demand, but unfortunately at present the
country is becoming a major importer of rice, sugar and corn,
Satyawan said.
Indonesia should also be able to largely develop its
biodiversity for various purposes, such as cosmetic products and
medicine, but not many people realized it, he added.
About 40 million people in the country are still trapped in
poverty and unemployment.
The government, according to Satyawan, was still trying to
identify species that had economic value so that people could use
them for daily needs and business purposes.
"We also plan to promote the idea that biodiversity can help
the country eradicate poverty by being aware of its benefits and
making use of them," he said.