Natural disasters indicate climate changes: Minister

JAKARTA (JP): Although Indonesia contributes little to the global cumulation of harmful greenhouses gases it is determined to play a significant role in the campaign to reduce the effects of the resulting climatic changes, according to an official.

State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja cited the result of a recent Inventory of Greenhouse Gases Emission and Sinks, which reports the carbondioxide (CO2) net emission level in Indonesia is minus 0.7 giga ton.

This means that in the world's CO2 emission balance system, Indonesia absorbs 0.7 giga tons of the entire CO2 emitted to the atmosphere every year. The cumulative global emission level was set at 610 giga ton in 1990, Antara reported.

Despite its good record, Indonesia is "still committed to taking necessary action for global and national ... activities ... to reduce future emission increases," he said Friday in an address to participants at an international workshop on climatic changes in Bogor, West Java.

Sarwono also said Indonesia assumed a significant, strategic position with respect to control over global climatic change.

The government, in an effort to ensure Indonesia remains one of the world's CO2 absorbers (carbon sinks), has launched various programs and policies aimed at conserving the country's natural resources, such as sustainable forest management, expansion of conservation areas and diversification of energy sources by replacing fossil-based fuels with renewable fuels, such as solar power.

The five-day workshop, attended by representatives from 118 countries, discussed each countries action plan in anticipation of global climatic change.

Sarwono also described in his speech the recent natural events not seen here before that were the result of climatic changes. He cited high waves on the Sunda Straits in late 1996 and the 1994 Indonesian drought.

He admitted no research had been conducted to prove the climate was indeed undergoing changes, but that it seemed to have deviated recently from its usual pattern.

The climatic change, which includes global warming, will adversely affect the Indonesian economy and aspects of society, he pointed out. Climate changes could cause disorder in the current planting seasons, he cited as an example.

Therefore, he went on, Indonesia is taking measures to minimize the effects of the climatic change.

Although scientists have predicted the real effects climatic change will be felt only in the next 50 years, Indonesians must be made aware of the adverse impact the changes may bring about.

The community must realize, for example, that forest burning will produce greenhouse gases such as CO2, which help to intensify global warming.

Efforts which may curb the rate of climatic change, such as forest conservation and the use of renewable energy, must be made well known among the community, he said. (swe)