'It could take more than a decade to restore Leuser Park'

About 60 people, including military and police personnel, attended a two-day workshop from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28 on Eradicating Illegal Logging of the Leuser Ecosystem in Medan, North Sumatra, organized by the Leuser management (UML). The Jakarta Post correspondent Apriadi Gunawan interviewed UML project director M. Ali Basyah, formerly rector of Syah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, on the issue. Below are excerpts from the interview.

Question: How extensive is the actual damage to the ecosystem of Leuser National Park, which spans Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and North Sumatra provinces?

Answer: We have to admit that many areas in the Leuser ecosystem are damaged. According to 1985 records, 12 percent of the 2.6 hectare Leuser park was destroyed. Seventeen years later, the destruction reached 26 percent.

Apart from forest destruction, 1.5 percent of the park was turned into plantations and residential areas in 1985, and this expanded to 11.4 percent in 2002. What has been the main cause of the deterioration of the Leuser ecosystem?

The destruction started when the forest became an object of exploitation for economic interests. We badly needed development funds in the 1970s, and forests were seen as a practical resource toward this end. Unfortunately, forest preservation was ignored. Do you believe government officials contributed to deforestation?

After the logging business was legally recognized, forest exploitation became exaggerated. The government has apparatuses and institutions to protect forests, but unfortunately, protection of forests is still very poor.

Does this indicate illicit cooperation between government apparatuses with illegal loggers?

Maybe. But I'd prefer to think positively. What do you think of the controversial Ladia Galaska highway project?

The Ladia Galaska highway project (which will connect the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca across Gayo Alas in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) started before an environmental impact analysis, or Amdal, was conducted. (The UML) frequently provided technical advice to all relevant institutions, including the local administration and central government, that the project would only result in catastrophe. We focused on technical aspects: 39 percent of the Leuser ecosystem -- the Bukit Pandan area -- is highly vulnerable to landslides, as most of the area is hilly with an incline of almost 60 degrees.

Average rainfall in Leuser is between 2,100 and 5,100 millimeters per annum. Such steep hilly land has a very thin soil layer, and in the rainy season, vegetation in the area can reduce the stability of the soil. We must be extra-careful. What would happen if the Ladia Galaska project continued?

Something has already happened in Beuteung Ateh, in Central Aceh regency. Soon after the highway project started, a landslide occurred in the area. The land subsided at least 20 meters. Who do you believe is responsible for the destruction of the Leuser forest?

I would say villagers living around the forest have been exploited by certain businessmen who are behind the illegal logging. Many of the businessmen are believed to come from North Sumatra, Jakarta and Singapore. The poached timber is usually sold to domestic timber industries. But reports say the logs are also shipped illegally to Malaysia and Singapore. Then who would you say is the most responsible?

All individuals, parties and institutions that have exploited the forest without making an effort to preserve it must be held responsible. Law enforcement remains very poor. Many cases involving illegal loggers are dropped before reaching the courts. We have never heard about an individual behind the illegal logging business receiving harsh punishment. Stern punishment is needed to deter those behind illegal logging.

Is the government serious about addressing the deforestation of Leuser?

Not really. The Ladia Galaska project is proof of this. The government should have stopped the project, which was initiated by the local administration and fully supported by the central government (the Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure).

The World Bank agreed to fund surveys of an integrated transportation system in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (before the Ladia Galaska project started), but the provincial administration didn't respond.

Does this mean that the government has virtually participated in the deforestation of Leuser?

Ignoring the natural conditions of the area and violating the laws they had passed, the government (the provincial and central governments) has played a role in forest destruction. What should the government do now?

I'd suggest that the Ladia Galaska project be halted to prevent further damage to Leuser forest. The money allocated to the highway project could be used to fund more urgent transportation projects in Aceh, such as railways and seaports. Can we restore the Leuser ecosystem to its former condition?

This is still a great possibility, if the deforestation is stopped. ...I believe that no one can return the Leuser forest to its former condition. I believe that, to some extent, the Leuser ecosystem can be restored, but given the severity of the damage, it could take more than a decade to do so. But an effort must be made.