Sarwono alarmed at mangrove destruction
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)