More funds needed for reforestation

More funds needed for reforestation

BANDUNG: Director General of Site Rehabilitation and Social
Reforestation Yaman Mulyana said here on Thursday that shortage
of funds had hampered the reforestation programs for critical
areas.

Speaking to journalists after opening a discussion on
Regreening and Reforestation Programs at the state Padjadjaran
University campus in Jatinangor, Mulyana said that the Ministry
of Forest and Plantation had spent more than Rp 4 trillion.

"That much money could recover only one million hectares of
critical sites/forest, while we have a total of 20 million
hectares of critical sites, including eight million hectares of
damaged forests," he said.

Mulyana said the cash-strapped ministry continued its attempt
to recover all the damaged sites. He added the critical areas
were mostly located in Java, followed by East and West Nusa
Tenggara, Lampung and South Sulawesi.

"The forests in those islands have been ruined for years."

In a related development tens of students from the Activists
of the Padjadjaran University staged a non-violent protest,
urging the government to stop issuance of permits for exploiting
forests (HPH) to some conglomerates. (25/sur)