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)