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

'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.