RI, Japan in forestry project

RI, Japan in forestry project

JAKARTA (JP): Japan and Indonesia will launch in January a
US$5 million joint project to promote reforestation through
"carbon fixing" forest management over the next five years as
part of a campaign to slow down the process of global warming.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the
Research and Development Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of
Forestry signed an agreement on the project at Manggala
Wanabhakti building on Wednesday.

Under the project, limbs and tops of trees remaining after
logging that were usually burned would be turned into charcoal
and buried to fertilize the soil. This method stimulates higher
levels of carbon dioxide absorption from the air by the forest
and the carbon fixed in the ground facilitates tree growth.

Carbon dioxide is one of many gases released in the air by
industrial activities that has contributed to global warming.

Minister of Forestry Nurmahmudi Ismail said at the signing
ceremony that the project would cover between 8,000 and 9,000
hectares, a small area compared to the 56 million hectares in
Indonesia that could benefit from such treatment. (03)