Robbing the forests for short-term gain

Robbing the forests for short-term gain

Agus Setyarso, Senior Policy Advisor, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Indonesia

asetyar@yahoo.com

The legislative election is over, and candidates are busy looking
for running partners for the presidential election in July.

No candidate seems to have taken up environmental issues that
are so vital to our lives. The nation's forests are indeed in a
critical condition; some sources have estimated that 3.6 million
to 3.8 million hectares of forest is destroyed each year.

Many parties believe that good national governance is the key
to reform in the forestry sector.

What if those in power were in fact the source of the problem?

Leaders here have shown less enthusiasm for environmental
concerns than the technical aspects of forestry. Meanwhile, those
in the industry deal with bureaucracy that makes it difficult for
small and medium-scale enterprises to survive.

Ironically, forestry regulations do not meet the expectation
of those living in the vicinity of forests.

For years, forestry has been seen merely as an instrument to
support development. Out of the total 200 million hectares of
Indonesia's territory, some 140 million hectares comprise
forests, while good forest management has never been a priority
for the government.

Likewise, environmental issues rarely feature in political
decisions.

Local administrations have shown skepticism of Law No.41/1999
on forestry. Some district administrations exercise autonomous
power, using the "gap" that appears in local regulations. Thus,
local regulations on timber and transportation taxes are issued
by violating national laws.

In failing to address this issue properly, the country could
stand to lose its precious natural resources.

In the shadows

Good governance in forestry is essential to meet the people's
needs. A common understanding of forestry would mean that
decision making was based on established principles.

From a scholar's perspective, this would relate to five
principles: The concept of state, wise use of power, accountable
decision making, maximizing public consultation in formulating
public policy, and the sustainable allocation and distribution of
resources.

Meanwhile, people's expectations are also very high. They hope
for a stable and improved economy, law and order and a good
social infrastructure. When the government fails to deliver on
its promises, new leaders will take over.

Resource-rich areas are almost out of the government's
control. Amid confusion and chaos, it was the cukongs (literally
means powerful financiers) that controlled the lives of the
people.

In a bid to secure their illegal businesses, the cukongs
provided local people with tools, machinery, and capital to work
in the forest illegally. They controlled prices, the market, and
basic needs, while building roads, providing transportation to
inaccessible villages, and establishing "modern" accessories:
karaoke bars, casinos and brothels.

Meanwhile, foreign financiers also built sawmills and market
commodities in trans-border areas. Are these practices illegal?
They can present the permit issued by the local authority. It's
not a secret anymore that bribery has become a common practice.

After controlling economic and social institutions, the
cukongs infiltrated formal institutions. Some regents issue
permits that violate "higher" regulations. Local government
officials and legislators have frequently sided with illegal
loggers.

Raising the issue of poverty, they demand the government does
not punish such criminals, and increase the production level
beyond that which is sustainable.

What about law enforcement? Out of thousands of cases in 2003,
less than 50 forestry related crimes were filed with the police
and only one sentence handed down.

An investigation conducted by the forestry ministry, WWF
Indonesia and the International Tropical Timber Organization
(ITTO) from 2001 to 2003 indicated some disturbing tendencies
among law enforcers.

In forest areas, the mafia controls the local economy, social
infrastructure and law and order.

This shows that the government is controlled by the mafia.

A recent investigation indicated the mafia would show itself
soon and that it was doing everything in its power to see its
members elected to government.

Voiceless victims

As the mafia distributes its "earnings" to all involved, it
may seem like there are no victims. However, there are many who
suffer in the wake of the illegal activity.

When illegal loggers make money with little risk, most locals
are happy to participate. Rice and other basic needs are no
longer produced locally, causing dependency on external
resources. Farmers leave their farms for the cash benefits of
illegal logging. Their status changes from land manager to
laborer.

Actually, they may only make up to Rp 100,000 (US$11.50) a day
with their basic needs increasing (in line with their change of
status). Meanwhile, traders across the border may get thousands
of dollars a day.

In the past, forests were valuable to society on a number of
levels. Rural people believed that the forest had spiritual
significance.

In Kalimantan, people meet in coffee shops rather than
traditional meeting halls. Religious values are lost as
television, computer games, karaoke and prostitution take over.

The rate of deforestation has doubled in the last five years,
causing floods and landslides. Saltwater is found in rivers
hundreds of kilometers away from the coast, making drinking water
scarce. Usman (2002) reported that West Kalimantan's Kapuas River
had been heavily polluted, with its mercury content 10 times
above the threshold.

Few seem to care that those who pay the price of illegal
logging are mostly innocent. Forestry regulations are ignored
while forests are, in fact, ruled by criminals. And not the sort
of Robin Hood-like bandits that robbed the rich to give to the
poor.

Dr. Agus Setyarso, is a PhD graduate of the University of the
Philippines in Los Banos and a former researcher and lecturer of
Gadjah Mada University's School of Forestry in Yogyakarta. He is
activity manager of a World Bank-WWF Indonesia project on
forestry. This views expressed in this article are personal. .