Sarwono alarmed at mangrove destruction

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatdja is alarmed by the rapid destruction of mangroves because of intensive deforestation within the last few decades.

The number of mangrove trees has plummeted from 22 million into two million, Sarwono said in a hearing at the House of Representatives yesterday.

Sarwono pointed out that the development of the coastal lines for tourism, agriculture and mining projects, as well as residential areas were to blame for the destruction. Many habitats of marine biodiversity have been destroyed as well, he said.

"Millions of hectares of mangrove forest in coastal areas have been converted to housing complexes, hotels, golf courses, shrimp pond projects and offshore mining projects," he said.

Mangroves are crucial to protect rare species of animals and marine biodiversity, Sarwono said, adding that Batam, Bintan, Bali and Jakarta have lost the most.

To cope with the problems, Sarwono said, the ministry has entered into a cooperation with the Ministry of Forestry and the National Development Coordinating Agency to identify areas that must be rehabilitated.

Last year, the government declared 85 locations, spanning about 10 million hectares of the waters surrounding the archipelago, as marine conservation areas to protect marine biodiversity, he said.

By the end of 2000, the government will have developed 10 million hectares of marine conservation areas.

In Bali, mangrove is used as barrier against sea abrasion. The ministry and local authorities issued regulations in 1992 prohibiting people from cutting mangroves.

In 1990/1991 Bali authorities launched a campaign to save mangroves along the east coastal areas of Sanur. The project was held in cooperation with the ministry of forestry and Japan International Cooperation Aid (JICA) agency.

Toxic waste

Sarwono also said that the ministry has informed some embassies on the government plan to reexport 104 containers of hazardous waste which remain in some ports here.

Of that number, 65 are from the Netherlands. The rest were imported from Germany, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, he said.

Sarwono, who is also head of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal), said Bapedal has requested the economic department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry help realize the plan.

There are also another 125 imported containers containing non- hazardous waste. "These can be recycled here," he said, adding that some 56 containers have already been reclaimed by the original owners.

Sarwono said the containers entered Indonesia before the decree of trade minister issued in 1992 which bans any form of waste importation.

Some 21 containers entering the Tanjung Priok port after the decree was issued are now under examination of the Attorney General's Office, Sarwono said.

Nuclear

Commenting on the government's plan to build nuclear power plants, Sarwono said the project was still in the preparatory stages, and might not start until after the year 2000.

"It is not yet finalized and is only to serve as an alternative to other energy sources such as natural gas, fossil fuel, oil and solar power," he said.

Sarwono said that he has urged BATAN (the National Atomic Energy Agency) to put strict controls on nuclear safety, the technology for nuclear waste treatment, decommissioning and the social effects of the project.

Decommissioning refers to the final fate of a reactor after it is closed down.

He also said that project commission team should not base its choice of contractors on politics and other considerations but on their professionalism only. (prs)