| Indonesian Fires and Haze (News Reports) (22 Jun 00) |
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Environment watchdog tells govt to stop forest fire Source: The Jakarta Post Monday, March 13, 2000 JAKARTA The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said on Sunday the present government would lose some of its legitimacy if it failed to take comprehensive measures to stop forest fires. "The government of Gus Dur and Megawati could (still) have political legitimacy, but they would lack social legitimacy if they fail to stop the disaster," Walhi said, referring to President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri. In a press statement signed by its head of advocacy affairs Longgena Ginting, Walhi suggested the government could revoke the licenses of errant timber firms, but said this action was by itself not enough to solve the underlying problem. "Revoking the licenses is just a short-term measure. There are more steps to be taken to prevent repeated forest fires," Longgena said. He said the government had ignored the forest conversion rate that had reached between 0,75 and 1,1 million hectares per year only to serve market demands. "Many pulp and paper industries are built and are ready to operate, without enough forests to supply raw materials for their production activities," Longgena lamented. Citing an example, he said Riau's giant pulp and paper factory PT Riau Andalan Pulp (RAPP) had set its production capacity at 850,000 tons per year, but had only planted 83,000 hectare of forests on the total of 230,000 plots of land under its concession. "The company's forests will be ready for use only in 2008, and in the meantime the company greatly depends on the old forests and will continuously exploit them. "It is not impossible that RAPP is also encouraging illegal logging activities to secure its supply of raw material," Longgena remarked. Hundreds of hectares of forest in Riau have caught fire over the past week due to alleged uncontrolled forest exploitation. But two days of heavy rains have temporarily cleared away the haze from the region. Early morning visibility improved to five kilometers early Sunday from 300 meters two days earlier, but this is still half of the normal distance of 10 kilometers. The government declared the fires a national disaster after about 1,200 fires were detected in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Many fear a repeat of the 1997 catastrophe when an estimated 10 million hectares of forest were scorched, causing thick smog to blanket parts of Southeast Asia. Walhi noted that forest fires had been common in the last 20 years. Two fires hit more than three million hectares of forest in East Kalimantan in 1982 and 1991. "To prevent the repeated incidents, the government has to take long-term measures," Longgena suggested. According to Longgena, the government should review and if necessary suspended the policy on large-scale monoculture development and forest exploitation licenses. The government also needs to stop offering incentives and financial assistance to forest-exploitation businesses as well as set the maximum capacity of the national timber industry to under 20 million cubic meters per year, he added. "In brief, the government has to revamp the forest development policy," he said. With the haze raising concerns in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, President Abdurrahman has promised to do everything possible to prevent an ecological disaster on the scale of three years ago. ================================================================= 11. Jakarta will prosecute 4 firms over fires Source: Straits Times Mar 13, 2000 The Indonesian authorities have gathered enough evidence to pin the fires causing the haze on four large plantation companies in Riau and it intends to prosecute them, said Environment Minister Lee Yock Suan. Describing this as a positive development, he said: "I hope that all those responsible for the catastrophic situation in Riau recently will be taken to task soon.'' Mr Lee did not name the four plantation companies pinpointed, but according to the March 10 issue of the Indonesian Observer, they are PT Adei Plantation, PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, PT Musi Mas, and PT Inti Indosawit. The minister said it was very important that Indonesia shows it has the political commitment and the will to avert another haze disaster. The fires are already causing health problems to people in Pekanbaru and other areas in Sumatra, and in Kalimantan, he noted. "Near the fires, the haze has caused the pollution index to shoot up at some points to about 1,000, can you imagine," he told Parliament on Monday. In Singapore, when the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 200, people could already smell the smoke, which was causing health problems, he recalled. A reading of over 300 is considered hazardous to health. Below 50 would be the normal level. For now, because of the direction of the winds, the haze is not likely to hurt Singapore's air quality severely. "However, if the fires and haze there persist in the months ahead, our air quality can be significantly affected when the winds blow in our direction," he said. He was replying to Nominated MP Simon Tay who had asked about the steps being taken to deal with the fires in Indonesia. Last week, Mr Lee told Parliament he had written to his Indonesian counterpart, Dr Sonny Keraf, to express Singapore's concern over the fires. On Monday, he disclosed that Dr Keraf had assured him Jakarta was taking comprehensive measures to address the situation, including strengthening its national strategy in controlling land and forest fires. In his letter, Dr Keraf said that district fire-fighting teams had been mobilised in all regions where hot spots were detected, and that law enforcement teams had been sent to investigate the plantation companies implicated. "We welcome these positive actions on the part of the Indonesian government," said Mr Lee. Singapore also welcomes Dr Keraf's public warning that his government would revoke the licences of foreign concession holders and plantation companies found guilty of illegal burning. Since the start of this year, Singapore has been providing Indonesia with satellite pictures showing the hot spots. Recently, at Indonesia's request, Singapore also provided higher-resolution pictures that can pinpoint hot-spot sites to within 20 m. On Monday, the overall air quality in Singapore moved from the moderate to the good range, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index going down to 42 at 4 pm. The reading was 60 on both Saturday and Sunday. ============================================================== Haze clears on Sumatra, critical on Kalimantan Source: Jakarta Post, March 14, 2000 JAKARTA Heavy rain over the weekend on Sumatra island dampened forest fires and reduced the dangerous level of haze there. But fires on Kalimantan island have yet to abate, bringing haze to alarming levels on Monday. Officials in Riau province, one of the worst hit by the haze in past weeks, said continuing downpours since the weekend were believed to have helped douse over two-thirds of the 1,064 hot spots in the area. "The rain is a blessing, the visibility is now at five kilometers in the afternoon and it is much better than last Tuesday, when we had to cancel one flight," the spokesman for the local administration, Ruskin Har, told The Jakarta Post by telephone from the provincial capital of Pekanbaru. He said the average pollution index, which had been at 125, had dropped to 60 on Monday evening. An air-quality reading of between 51 and 100 is moderate, while over 100 is regarded as unhealthy. Ruskin added that at least 30 people had been treated at Pekanbaru General Hospital for respiratory disorders. According to Ruskin, the local administration was watching out for concessionaires which burned the forest to clear land. He said a joint team comprising the police, forestry officials, the Attorney General's Office and the local administration had been loaned a helicopter by the Ministry of Communications to patrol the area. "So far we've caught a big plantation firm which was clearing 1,500 hectares of land by burning the forest," said Ruskin, adding that he was certain other violators would be caught. Meanwhile, Antara news agency reported on Monday the authorities in West Kalimantan were concerned about the effect the haze would have on the health of local residents. According to several reports, air traffic to Pontianak has been seriously disrupted by the haze. The reports said flights could land only after mid- morning, when a sea breeze blew off the haze. Punish Meanwhile, Singapore urged Indonesia on Monday to punish companies responsible for the forest fires which had led to the smoky haze covering much of the region. Minister of the Environment Lee Yock Suan told Singapore's parliament that Indonesia's laws were currently not very clear, despite Jakarta's attempts to resolve the problem amid fears the haze would return to the dangerous levels seen in 1997. "It is very important for Indonesia to make sure its laws are clear and there are sufficient teeth to take action against the culprits," he was quoted as saying by AFP. "Unfortunately, at the moment I think the law is really not watertight. "I think it is very important for Indonesia to show that it has the political commitment and will to tackle this problem to prevent it from becoming a disaster for the region again," he said. The comments were made amid rising fears that Indonesia could be heading for a repeat of 1997 and part of 1998, in which fires in Sumatra and Borneo covered much of the region with a choking haze. Despite a government ban in Indonesia on slash-and-burn land clearing, the practice has continued unabated, including by large plantation firms. Lee said Indonesia also needed to clarify the structure of enforcement, "whether it is the environment agency that is responsible, or the forestry and plantation people who are responsible or the local provincial officials .... All these things have to be clarified". Lee, however, said Indonesia was trying its best to resolve the difficult problem and has threatened to prosecute and suspend the licenses of four companies suspected of causing fires. He said he had sought the cooperation of Indonesia to undertake prompt and firm enforcement against plantation companies that used fire to clear land. The smoke has been blamed mostly on the large-scale burning of forest and shrubs to clear land for the new planting season. Lee said Singapore's air quality was not badly affected by the haze in nearby Sumatra because of prevailing wind directions =============================================================== Government sets up forest fire enforcement team Source: Jakarta Post, March 15, 2000 PONTIANAK Air pollution and health problems are causing concern among people in the province, with no sign of abatement in devastating forest fires on Tuesday. There has been an increase in the number of people admitted with respiratory problems, a member of staff at state Dr. Soedarso hospital said. However, no exact figure was available. In parts of the provincial capital, the air pollution index has reached 1,030, far exceeding the maximum tolerable level of 300. Despite the risk of respiratory problems, many motorists were observed not wearing protective masks. Residents said the smog started to restrict visibility from about 8 a.m. and lasted until dusk. The NOAA satellite observation detected 708 hot spots across the province on Tuesday, mostly in coastal areas where oil palm plantations have been planted on peatland. There has been no rainfall in the past three weeks. Thick haze also shrouded most of West Sumatra on Tuesday, following a blaze which hit over 800 hectares of forests and plantations in the area. The local administration has been helpless to extinguish the fire as prolonged drought and strong winds have helped in its spread. It destroyed protected forests in the regencies of Pasaman, Agam, Limau Manis and Padang. The provincial capital of Padang, Padang Panjang, about 60 kilometers north of Padang, and Bukittinggi in Agam regency were the cities worst hit by the resulting haze. Punishment In a bid to end forest fires, the government has formed an enforcement team to help bring those responsible for setting them to court, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Basri Hasanuddin said on Tuesday. Smog from vast forest fires enveloped neighboring countries in 1997 to 1998 and wiped out hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestland. About 1,200 hot spots were sighted by weather satellites in Sumatra last week. Basri, after attending a special coordinating meeting with related ministries on forest fires, said the team "will be given full authority to investigate and collect data about any party who set fires to clear land". Weak legal enforcement, due to politically connected companies and corruption, are among the factors blamed for continuing forest fires, despite various efforts involving Southeast Asian neighbors. The decree on the team's establishment will be issued in the next two days, Basri said. State Minister of Environment Sonny Keraf said the team would be chaired by a detective from the National Police, but he did not identify the person. The team will consist of representatives of the police, the Attorney General's Office and the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal). "Any companies found to have caused fires either intentionally or unintentionally will face legal action and their names will be made public," Basri said. He added the team would be aided by the National Aeronautics and Space Institute (LAPAN) to provide satellite images to identify the location of the fires. The government has said the main cause of forest fires is land clearing by locals, plantation firms and timber companies. Sonny said that despite a law providing jail terms of up to five months and a fine of Rp 10 billion, enforcement was slow. "The new team is expected to take action as soon as possible," he added. "The government has also instructed plantation firms and timber companies to extinguish fires in their operating area," Basri said. "Special task forces will be formed, consisting of locals and non-governmental organizations in needy regions." He added that companies would be expected to pay for the teams' needs. ========================================================== Foreign importers threaten to boycott Indonesia over forest fires Source: AFP, March 17 2000 JAKARTA The world Association of Crude Palm Oil Importers has threatened to boycott Indonesian palm oil if Jakarta does not take immediate action to stop forest fires from spreading, a report said Friday. Aca Sugandhy of the Ministry of Environment said Indonesia could soon face sanctions if foreign importers considered the government was taking "ineffective" measures in handling the problem, the daily Bisnis Indonesis reported. "The threat over the forest fires does not come from neighbors such as Singapore and Malaysia. In fact, they are willing to work with us ... the threat came from the CPO importers association," Sugandhy was quoted as saying. The fires have provoked fears the country is headed for a rerun of 1997-98, when fires in Sumatra and Borneo covered much of Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei with a choking haze. If the government does not take the renewed threat of haze generated from the forest fires seriously, Indonesia could face strident international condemnation, he said. "An APEC summit will take place this year, and if the forest fires cannot be properly handled, we could again face an international scrutiny," Sugandhy told a forum on forest fires here. Speaking at the same forum, Environment Minister Sonny Keraf said the forest and ground fires have erupted in areas belonging to three Malaysian-Indonesian joint venture plantation companies. The three companies were PT ADEI Plantation, PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa and PT Multi Gambut, Keraf was quoted as saying by Bisnis. "Among the locations of the forest fires, three of them took place in the areas owned by those joint venture companies. I have already sent a letter to the Malaysian government to summon the respective companies," he said. Keraf said both the Malaysian and Singaporean environment ministries have sent letters to Indonesia asking about the latest developments in the government's plans to stop the forest fires. The government said on Wednesday that it planned to set up a law enforcement team to help curb fires, many of which are believed to be the result of cheap slash-and-burn land clearing practices by both large companies and smallholders. The enforcement team will be headed by the chief of the National Police's Detective Department and have members from the environment ministry, the Environmental Impact Management Agency and the attorney general's office. It has the authority to enforce the law on those who accidentally or intentionally cause fires in forestry or plantation areas, as well as to investigate hotspots detected through satellite images, identify their sources and determine who is responsible for fires. --------------------------------------------------- ========================================================== Reproduced from INCL 2-13a with thanks ============================================ Dr. Louis Lebel SARCS Science Coordinator/Researcher Affiliation: Faculty of Social Science, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Postal & Home Address: 189/10 Lake View Park 1 Chiang Mai - Mae Joh Rd Muang District, Chiang Mai 50000 THAILAND Email: llebel@cmnet.co.th Direct Tel/Fax: 66-53-263-215 Mobile: 66-1-892-9647 ============================================ Current Project Sites http://www.icsea.or.id/sea-span/ http://www.icsea.or.id/issp/ http://www.icsea.or.id/gcbook/ ============================================ Southeast Asian Science Policy Network in Global Change an initiative of the Global Change Impacts Centre for Southeast Asia. |