Practical solutions to help protect precious forests

Practical solutions to help protect precious forests

By Nigel Sizer

JAKARTA (JP): East Asian ministers, together with officials
from Europe, Japan and the United States, are gathering in Bali
this week to explore how they can combat illegal logging.

Indonesian leadership in this issue is sorely needed and we
must applaud their offer to host the conference. Studies estimate
that over half of the commercial timber cut in this country is
illegal. That hurts the economy, disrupts the livelihoods of
millions of the poorest people in Indonesia, and harms the
environment. The good news is that there are some cheap and
practical steps that could be taken to help address the problem.

A top priority for Indonesia's policymakers is to get the
economy back on track. Reducing illegal and unregulated logging
is a piece of the puzzle that must be addressed.

Indonesia is the largest exporter of tropical timber in the
world. About one-tenth of export earnings come from timber. Every
one of the tens of millions of cubic meters of timber that is cut
and sold illegally represents losses in revenue that should be
going to the local and national governments. This adds up to
billions of dollars out the window at a time when schools,
hospitals and other public services are sorely in need of cash.

Tens of millions of Indonesia's poorest people live on the
margins of forested areas. For generations, the forests have been
a source of food and shelter, especially during lean times. Loss
of this resource through heavy-handed, illegal timber cutting
will eliminate a key social safety net that nature has provided
for free. This could further push the rural poor into the already
congested cities in search of work and sustenance.

In addition, there are the concerns of environmentalists.

The tropical rain forests of this country are the most
important biologically in all of Asia. Their conservation is of
global concern and much foreign funding is available to Indonesia
from private donors and aid agencies to help manage forests
carefully.

Many might call this a "luxury" or even "environmental
imperialism" in a region where so many live below the poverty
line. But poor forest management contributes to massive
wildfires, flooding, landslides, and loss of traditional forest-
based livelihoods. These impacts in turn hurt the local economy.
Good environmental and economic stewardship go hand in hand.

There are three concrete steps that the government of
Indonesia could take that would go a long way to reduce illegal
logging. First and foremost would be the arrest and prosecution
of the dozen or so biggest multimillionaire illegal timber
traders. The Ministry of Forestry knows who these people are.
They need political support to take the next step. Reeling in the
big fish would send a strong signal to others that business as
usual is no longer acceptable.

Tracking technology

A second step that could be taken quickly would be to contract
one of several private agencies that specialize in export
certification to independently track timber shipments.

Simple and cheap technology using computerized bar codes
exists to label and track timber from the forest to the port and
to exclude illegal sources. We use the same technology every time
we go to the supermarket. Papua New Guinea, another tropical
timber exporter with less trained experts than Indonesia, has
been successful with this approach. That country has seen a
dramatic rise in timber tax collection and reduction in illegal
activities as a result.

Thirdly, special attention should be given to the timber trade
with Malaysia. There are many documented cases of collaboration
between Malaysians and Indonesians to smuggle illegal timber from
here to Malaysia where it becomes "legal" and is sent on to a
third country. Cooperation between authorities in the two
countries could cut these strategic smuggling routes.

Illegal logging is also something that rich importing nations
must take some responsibility for. Like the drug trade, there
would not be illegal timber export if people elsewhere were not
buying the stuff. Europe, Japan and the United States all import
large amounts of illegal timber from Indonesia. Importers claim
they cannot differentiate between legal and illegal sources
because the shipments all have "clean" paperwork when they
arrive. Such willing international participation in the trade
should be addressed.

Concrete steps that importers could take would be to insist on
independent certification of the legal origin of the timber. This
follows easily once timber-tracking systems have been put in
place, as described above.

Secondly, customs agencies could be given the power to turn
back shipments where there is reasonable doubt about the origin
of the product. And finally, wealthy countries should
substantially increase financial and technical support to
Indonesia and its neighbors to help deal with illegal logging.

The British government has already gone far in this respect,
and others would do well to follow their lead.

All of the steps described above would help Indonesia's
economy get back on track, generate meaningful and long-term
jobs, and help to protect unique natural heritage. Let us hope
that the beauty of Bali serves to inspire the decisionmakers
gathered there to take these small but significant steps.

The writer is the director of the Asia Pacific Forests
Program for The Nature Conservancy.