Endangered forests of Sumatra in two or three years into the future! That's the conclusion of the meeting of activists Indonesian Forum for Environment (WALHI), a Sumatra. The conclusion was shocking because of Sumatra, Kalimantan, as well as into the lung environment for Indonesia.
Forests in Sumatra which includes nine provinces from the west coast of Aceh to Lampung predicted there will be endangered and the food crisis due to high rates of deforestation or the transfer function of production forests to plantations. Prediction of the threat of forest destruction that stretched Sumatra Bukit Barisan mountain range, because the average level of damage an area of 500,000 hectares per year.
A number of Walhi Sumatra, three years ago, concluding it. For example, WALHI Riau as proposed Executive Director Jhoni S Mundung, said that production forests, protected forests and national parks in the area was almost extinct due to high over the functions of forests into oil palm plantations and industrial timber estates (HTI).
As a result, Riau province when the rainy season, flooding a large and difficult to be avoided in the next 10 years because of the Siak River and the Kampar River is not able to accommodate, as well as water catchment areas in the region was almost gone. Conversely during the dry season, the rivers have resulted in a drastic silting exceptional drought.
The destruction of production forests and protected forests in Riau after the company's presence pulp (pulp), which opens plantation land area of nearly four million hectares. And, palm oil plantations are now reaching 2.1 million hectares and 160 units of palm oil mill (MCC).
"You can imagine the presence of pulpwood and pulp mill in Riau that requires at least 16 million cubic meters of wood per year. Wood as much as it could not have generated a lot of plantation timber that holds the end result of illegal logging (illegal logging)," said Jhony, as written Between. Severe damage to forests in Riau have also been disturbing the lives of Talang Mamak who live peaceful and prosperous during this when they are still conserved indigenous forest.
The same was conveyed WALHI Bengkulu that the National Park Kerinci Seblat (TNKS) and the South Bukit Barisan National Park (BBSNP), as well as protected forests and national parks in Jambi were damaged, as stated by the Executive Director of WALHI Jambi, Arif Munandar.
The level of damage production forests, protected forests and national parks in Jambi reach 99 000 ha per year due to the presence of 460 000 ha of timber plantations and oil palm plantation development and logging. Meanwhile, WALHI Aceh that submitted Bambang Space, forests in Sumatra are still good in Aceh or sustainable just over 50 percent, mainly Leuser National Park.
From the results of a meeting Walhi Sumatra, according to the National Director of WALHI providing such Mokom reported, it is not only the destruction of forests in Sumatra, but was evenly distributed throughout Indonesia, such as Kalimantan and Sulawesi, is also quite severe.
Deforestation in Indonesia, according to him, due to the multidimensional crisis, ranging from economic order, political, social, and cultural. While government policies and the council does not lead to the interests of the people because of self-management that are made to the forest just for the sake of a handful orang.Sebab, it needs no assurance from the Government of Indonesia to do restoration or re-establish forest green that took almost 500 years.
WALHI also assess the government was too sloppy if they receive foreign aid that the fact that only a loan. "Foreign aid needs to build forest caution because there are interests that are positive and negative," said providing such.
To overcome these problems, particularly in Sumatra, the Ministry of Forestry together with five partners from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and make arrangements acceptance of the TFCA Grant Sumatra. Five NGOs in Sumatra that will drive conservation programs and forest rehabilitation. Grants amounting to Rp 24.2 billion was for the two-three years.
There will be no more following the assessment process for potential partners to develop a shared commitment to save the forests of Sumatra in the period until 2018. "We will soon open another funding opportunity for the NGOs / CBOs and universities to work together to save the forests of Sumatra," said Samedi, program director of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act-TFCA Sumatra.
Through debt-for-environment schemes (Debt for Nature-Swap/DNS), attempt to save the remaining forest area as well as restore forest functions as a buffer for maintaining life. The Government of Indonesia and the United States agreed to transfer the foreign debt of Indonesia to the United States amounted to nearly 30 million U.S. dollars over the next eight years to be directed at the activities of conservation and restoration of forest areas, particularly on the island of Sumatra.
With a unique governance that ensures transparency and accountability, the transfer of debt GoI sent directly to Dana Amanah (Trust Fund) and its use overseen by a body called the Oversight Committee and implemented daily by the administrator, the Foundation KEHATI. Hopefully, the grantee NGO partners to implement a form of governance transparency and accountability becomes an important focus.
Sumatra is a priority because it has the pressure on deforestation is very high, higher than the other islands in Indonesia. In Sumatra there are still many places inhabited by endemic and rare species that if not rescued soon be extinct forever from the earth. In addition, forest function as life-support system in Sumatra have been in a critical threshold.
"Restoration of forest areas in Sumatra and rescue must begin immediately to save the chain of ecological and community life in Sumatra," said Jatna Supriatna, chairman of the Oversight Committee TFCA Sumatra.
The issue rate of forest loss and biodiversity in Indonesia is in it already are at a very alarming stage. You can imagine how hard the effort that must be done to save the remaining forests for public welfare in a broad sense not only for Indonesia but also for the global community.
The NGO partners are assigned to execute the activities of Sumatra forest conservation. Various programs that are essentially a strengthening program, both to the protection of the region, area management, strengthening of policy, to strengthening the community is depreciated as a program that urges to be implemented.