Strong goodwill of

Strong goodwill of
govt needed for
ecological advocacy

JAKARTA (JP): Strong good will toward conservation on the part
of the government will optimize environmental advocacy, an
anthropologist said yesterday.

Yando Zakaria said the toughest job for environmental
activists -- and anyone involved in conservation -- is to make
legislators and government officials committed enough to solving
the country's ecological problems.

Yando said the non-governmental organizations have done their
part in advocating environmental preservation, including
conducting research and compiling data.

Now it is up to the government to show its good will in taking
the cause further, said the research staff member of the
University of Indonesia's Community and Economy Research Agency,
in a discussion held by the Indonesian Forum for Environment.

The discussion, held to commemorate forum's 14th anniversary,
followed the launching of a book written by Yando, Hutan dan
Kesejahteraan Masyarakat (The Forest and People's Welfare).

The book, based on his research on communities living near the
forests in various parts of Indonesia, discusses the role of
forest resources in the economy and ecology, forest resources
management by these communities and the impact of deforestation
on their economy.

Yando said the numerous critical studies, books and news
reports were more than enough to establish a new regulation or
forest resources management system to replace the present law
which, he said, did not adequately support the conservation
drive.

Environmental advocacy, especially in the management of forest
resources, needs to be addressed on a more official level so that
the law can be better enforced, he said.

Deddy Triawan, a member of the forum's executive council, said
in a press conference that it wanted to intensify its pressure
for the government not only to focus on wood, but also to exploit
other forest resources, such as rattan, resin and honey.

Review

He insisted that the government review its policy on forest
use, which he charges disregards indigenous people. He said the
government should also take physiography into account when
dividing forests into concessionaire areas.

Currently, forest utilization is determined based on the
levels of ground slope, rain intensity and susceptibility towards
erosion.

"Some 61.4 million hectares, or almost 96 percent of a total
of 64 million hectares of Indonesia's forests allocated for
production have been divided into 579 concessions which belong to
25 conglomerates," he said.

Indonesia's forests are classified into four categories
according to their utilization: conservation forests, nature
reserves, production forests and conversion forests.

Ironically, he said, the forum's studies show that forest
products contribute only 0.1 percent to the country's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), one percent to the state budget and 0.3
percent to the labor market.

Although forest products make some US$2.5 billion per year,
only 17 percent goes to the state coffers and the rest goes into
the concession holders' pockets, he said. (pwn)