ID :
14398
Wed, 07/30/2008 - 14:09
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http://m.oananews.org//node/14398
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ILLEGAL LOGGING DAMAGES 1.6 MILLION HECTARES OF RI FORESTS PER YEAR
Bandarlampung, Lampung Province, July 30 (ANTARA) - Illegal logging damages between 1.6 million and 2.4 million hectares of forests in Indonesia annually, according to the rector of Mulawarman University (Unmul), Prof Dr. Ariffien Bratawinata.
"The factors that encourage illegal logging activity include weak law enforcement, weak forest control, political chaos, inadequate participation of the people living around forests," he said here on Tuesday.
Illegal logging had caused huge material losses to the state and degraded forest areas, according to the headof the Samarinda-based university.
Indonesia's forests have degraded mainly because of illegal logging activity, forest fires and land conversion, he said.
Forest fires had affected biological diversity and the environment, he said.
East Kalimantan had lost around 3.2 million hectares of forest area because of forest fires between 1982 and 1983, and 1.087 million hectares between 1993 and 2001, he said.
Conversion of forest areas is also a serious problem, he said.
"It's especially ironic when many protected forest areas have been converted into mining sites. In line with the existing laws, protected forests must not be disturbed because they prevent erosion, landslides, and floods," he said.
Indonesia has the richest biological diversity in the world although its area covers only 1.3 percent of Earth's surface.
Indonesia has 10 percent of the world's forest area, and 37,000 plant species, including 400 which have high economic value, he said.
"The factors that encourage illegal logging activity include weak law enforcement, weak forest control, political chaos, inadequate participation of the people living around forests," he said here on Tuesday.
Illegal logging had caused huge material losses to the state and degraded forest areas, according to the headof the Samarinda-based university.
Indonesia's forests have degraded mainly because of illegal logging activity, forest fires and land conversion, he said.
Forest fires had affected biological diversity and the environment, he said.
East Kalimantan had lost around 3.2 million hectares of forest area because of forest fires between 1982 and 1983, and 1.087 million hectares between 1993 and 2001, he said.
Conversion of forest areas is also a serious problem, he said.
"It's especially ironic when many protected forest areas have been converted into mining sites. In line with the existing laws, protected forests must not be disturbed because they prevent erosion, landslides, and floods," he said.
Indonesia has the richest biological diversity in the world although its area covers only 1.3 percent of Earth's surface.
Indonesia has 10 percent of the world's forest area, and 37,000 plant species, including 400 which have high economic value, he said.
