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. .