Elephant Kills a Farmer in Aceh

Many forest area in the Province of Aceh, Sumatera, has been converted into commercial plantation and other use for many decades.

This continuous deforestation process has narrowed the area of forest as habitat of endangered Sumatera Elephant, making it possible for them to have direct contacts with human beings.

AFP reported that three people have been killed by an Elephant in the province in the last three months, the latest being a rubber tapper named Abdul Halim who was attacked while he was working last Thursday.

I hope this tragic incident would make the officials at the Ministry of Forestry stop giving permits for diversion of forest so that the Sumatera Elephants, which according the WWF now totals 3,500, can  remain inside their habitat and would not go out and attack human beings.

Flash Flood in Aceh

The magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami in Japan seemed to have " robbed " our attention from the natural disaster that has struck our own land.

According to The Jakarta Post, a Flash Flood has hit the District of Tangse, Pidie Regency, Aceh, last Thursday, killing 21 people, and estimated to cause a financial loss of up to Rp 1 Trillion (US$ 114 million).
Search and rescue efforts are still being carried out while waiting for additional support from the government.

According to local official, the biggest obstacle for the search was access to villages, particularly to Rantau Panjang village, because a bridge that serves as the main access point had been cut off due to heavy damage to its construction foundation.

The possible cause of the flash flood is heavy rain fall and massive deforestation in the area.
 
In this connection I would like to express my condolence and deepest sympathy to the families of the victims.
I hope that the central and local governments would do their very best to provide all the help needed by those affected by the flash flood.

I also hope that efforts would be made to prevent the cause of such flash flood, among others by preventing massive deforestation.

Selling Carbon Credits for Indonesian Forests

Indonesia has around 1 million square kilometers of forests, the second-largest in the world after Brazil.

The World Bank estimates that if the world put a monetary value on the Carbon stored in trees, Indonesia could earn up to $2 billion a year by selling Carbon Credits.

Indonesia is getting ready for an international  plan known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).

Last year, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) has promised world leaders that Indonesia shall reduce Carbon Gas Emission by 2020 i.e 26% if we do it by ourselves, or 41% if helped by other countries.

On 26 May 2010, Norway and Indonesia has signed a US$ One Billion deal aimed at reducing Deforestation, in return Indonesia shall suspend new concession on conversion of natural forest and peat land into plantations for two years.

There are several pilot projects throughout the country, and earlier this year the Russian company Gazprom bought the first carbon credits from a REDD project.

Considering that President SBY will end his second presidential term by 2014, I hope that his successors will fulfill all the commitments that have been made.

Source :
-   Indonesia Hopes to Sell Carbon Credits for Its Forests (VOANews) 
-   Norway and Indonesia sign US$ 1 billion forrest deal (REDD Monitor)

Photo :  Courtesy of VOA News

Moratorium on Deforestration

The destruction of rain forest and peat lands is the major reason Indonesia has been considered as the world's third-largest emitter of Greenhouse Gases blamed for Global Warming.
 
In order to stop the destruction, on 27 May Indonesia and Norway signed an agreement whereby Indonesia pledged a two years Moratorium on Deforestation, and Norway will pay US$ 1 Billion in return.

To ensure the implementation of said agreement, the government has taken necessary steps to stop the new cutting of forest trees, among others by stop giving new licenses.

Beside that, steps has also been taken to reduce criticism on the massive deforestration in Indonesia, i.e. by denying the entrance of Greenpeace's ship Rainbow Warrior into Indonesian territory. This is obvious because Greenpeace has been criticizing Indonesia for massive destruction of forest and peatlands to make way for Palm Oil plantations.

I hope that the government would always set and implement forestation policy based on the interests of the Indonesian people. Therefore illegal and massive cuttings of forest trees must be stopped, and ensure that protected forests would not be violated, with or without other countries' assistance. 

For details, please read the following articles :
-  Indonesia puts Moratorium on New Forest Clearing (Reuter)
-  Rainbow Warrior denied entry to Indonesia : Greenpeace (AFP)

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr.

Flood in Wasior, West Papua

Heavy rainfall in West Papua on Monday has flooded the town of Wasior, Teluk Wondama district, causing the death of almost 100 people and many others missing.

Please find below a related article that I have quoted from Kompas.

Various TV stations have quoted officials of environmental organizations i.e. Walhi and Greenpeace, as saying that the most possible cause of the flood is massive deforestation that has been going on for so many years in the province.

Indonesia Flood Toll Rises to Almost 100

Kamis, 7 Oktober 2010 | 14:03 WIB

 

A picture shows the aftermath of deadly flooding caused by torrential downpours in Teluk Wondama, Indonesias West Papua on October 5, 2010. At least 56 people were killed and 24 remain missing after the flash floods.

 

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The death toll from flash floods in a remote region of eastern Indonesia has climbed to at least 97 with dozens of people still missing, an official said Thursday. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors from floods which hit West Papua province’s Teluk Wondama district on Monday following torrential downpours, a rescue official said.

“At least 97 people were killed and more than 800 people were lightly and badly injured,” Papua search and rescue official Mochamad Arifin told AFP. “We are still searching for dozens of missing people,” he said.

Those killed had reportedly drowned and been swept away by the powerful waters along with uprooted trees, rocks and debris. Experts warned such events will become more common in the archipelago due to a combination of climate change, land conversion and logging, which can contribute to landslides and flash floods after monsoonal downpours.

Indonesia’s climatology agency said most parts of Indonesia had experienced torrential rains, strong winds, high waves and flooding due to extreme weather this year.

Moratorium on Deforestration

Last month President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) announced a two-year moratorium on Deforestation starting 2011 in exchange for a US$ 1 Billion aid from Norway.

Unfortunately, no one knows how will the moratorium be enforced considering that illegal logging is rampant and official figures about deforestation is doubtful.

Please find below an article about this that I have quoted from Kompas.

SBY: Indonesia Has 'Trust Deficit'

Jumat, 11 Juni 2010 | 08:18 WIB

 

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian 

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday acknowledged his country lacked credibility, as it seeks billions of dollars in foreign aid to battle climate change. 

He said Indonesia suffered a “trust deficit“ in the international community that was hampering its ability to win backing for initiatives such as a moratorium on  deforestation and cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.                           

“This is the reason for reform. We can turn the trust deficit into a trust surplus. Let's be sure that the institutions in this country are credible,“ he said in his opening remarks to a weekly cabinet meeting.

Indonesia is one of the top emitters of climate-warming gases blamed for rising global temperatures, largely through deforestation due to illegal logging and clearing for palm oil plantations.

Yudhoyono shocked environmentalists and palm planters alike last month when he announced a two-year moratorium on deforestation from 2011 in exchange for $1 billion in aid from Norway. But no one knows how the moratorium will be enforced in a country where experts say illegal logging is rampant and the government's figures about deforestation rates and forest cover are seen as wildly inaccurate.

“All institutions in this country must be credible so that there are no obstacles when we seek cooperation with friendly countries and the international community,“ Yudhoyono said, referring to the pact with Norway.

I ask (ministers) not to be discouraged, not to be angry, that frankly the international community does not fully trust the institutions in many developing countries including ours.“ 

Norway will offer aid from 2014 but only as long as Indonesia has made verifiable progress in halting deforestation. The verifiability of such initiatives is crucial to broader U.N.-backed efforts to link developed-world climate change funds to forest conservation in developing countries like Indonesia.

“If there is no reduced deforestation, we will not pay. If there is reduced deforestation, we will pay,“ Norwegian Prime Minister Stoltenberg told a press conference in Oslo as the moratorium was announced last month.

The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates deforestation is responsible for 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Indonesia, Greenpeace and Carbon Gas Emission

For many years, developed  countries like the U.S.A, Britain, Japan, have been blaming deforestation in Indonesia as one of the major cause of the increase of Carbon Gas Emission in the world

Beside that, environmental activists like Greenpeace have also been blaming and successfully forced foreign buyers i.e. Unilever and Nestle, to stop buying from an Indonesian palm oil manufacturer that have been  suspected of destroying forest. 

Basically, I strongly oppose massive deforestation in Indonesia, because many of them were done illegally, causing natural disasters like frequent floods, landslides, and destroying the habitat of endangered species e.g Orangutan, Tigers, in Indonesia. Therefore I agree that such deforestation must be stopped or at least minimized.

However, I do not agree if Indonesia is lamed as a major producer of the world's Carbon Emission. As a matter of fact I strongly believed that those developed countries with their advanced industrial and other activities surely caused much larger Carbon Gas Emission, than deforestation in Indonesia.

Considering the above, I hope that Greenpeace would be fair by also paying more attention on Carbon Gas Emission in those developed countries. Especially that Indonesia has voluntarily promised to reduce 26% Carbon Gas Emission by 2020 and plan to stop new forestry license.

Related articles:
- Greenpeace Urges Indonesia to Broaden Forest Moratorium (Kompas)
- Cancellation of Forestry Permits (Multibrand)
   

Villagers against Elephants

Massive deforestation in the Island of Sumatera has driven endangered Elephants away from their habitat

This situation has caused several incidents between those elephants and local villagers as reported by Business Week (below).

I hope that President SBY would accelerate his plan to replant forest and stop deforestation, so that the elephants and other endangered species could stay in their own habitat, and would not bother local villagers.

Villagers threaten to kill elephants in Indonesia
JAKARTA-INDONESIA

Villagers in western Indonesia have threatened to kill endangered Sumatran elephants unless something is done to stop the animals from trampling their crops, a local official said Monday.

A group of six elephants has destroyed several acres (hectares) of crops in the Trumon Timur region of Aceh province in the past few weeks, said Lahmudin, a sub-district chief who like many Indonesians uses a single name.

He said the villagers are fed up and ready to get rid of the animals.
"The villagers wanted to poison the elephants but for now they are listening to my appeal to be patient," Lahmudin said.

Abu Bakar Chekmat, the head of Aceh's conservation agency, questioned whether the villagers had encroached on the elephants' habitat.
"It is difficult to say who is right or wrong between humans and the animals," he said.

He said a team would be sent to the area to investigate and see what could be done.
Only 3,000 Sumatran elephants are believed to remain in the wild, a number that dwindles each year with poaching.

Avatar Tree for President SBY

President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) has been presented an Avatar Home Tree by the producer and maker of the movie AVATAR i.e. James Cameron.

Antara quoted Presidential spokesman Dino Patijalal as saying that the gift was presented in the form of an Oak Tree in a ceremony that took placed at Los Angeles, in which James Cameron said that Indonesia has important role in preserving world environment.  And the Oak Tree will be part of the one billion trees SBY promised to plant every year in Indonesia. At that time, SBY was represented by our Consular General in LA.

I hope this symbolic gift will strengthen SBY's determination to make Indonesia reduce 26% gas emision by 2020, as he promised world leaders last September, among others by masive planting of trees and stop deforestration.

Photo:  Courtesy of Antara.

Protest against Deforestration

International and local environmental activists have once again urged the government to halt conversion of forests into commercial plantations.

Tempo quoted the activists as saying that the halt is very important to prove the government's seriousness in achieving 26% emission cut target by 2020.

Considering that the above target was promised by President SBY during a meeting of world leaders last September, I hope that the government would pay serious attention to keep this promise.

 

Greenpeace, Sawit Watch Urge Government to Halt Plantation
Tuesday, 06 April, 2010 | 17:48 WIB 
 
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: A coalition of environmental and rights groups have launched another call for the government to end the expansion of plantation areas in natural forests, and demand serious measures from the government to meet its 26 percent carbon cut.

At a press conference in Jakarta the group which includes Greenpeace, Indonesia Friends of the Earth, Sawit Watch, and Forest Watch Indonesia urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the Forestry Minister to revoke several policies on forest and peat land conversion for large industrial purposes.

The group said expansion of palm oil plantations has come to a critical point. We have 9 million hectares of palm plantationwith expansion of 200,000 hectares per year,” Jefri Gideon Saragih of the Sawit Watch told reporters. Of the expansion figure about 100,000 hectares are peatland which conversion process according to Sawit Watch responsible for the “largest carbon emission in Indonesia”.

The group suggested the government to raise production level by intensifying productivity of the current planttaaion areas. It said malysia who has only about 4.9 hectares was able to produce up to 18 million tonnes of palm oil while Indonesia only produced about 21.3 million a year.

Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace's Southeast Asia forest campaigner said the halt “is important to prove the commitment and determination of the government in achieving the 26 percent emission cut target by 2020.”

The group has also previously said The international will and funding to protect Indonesia’s forests is there. It is therefore contradictory for Indonesia to promote further plantations at the expense of forests

The Forestry Minister, Zulkifli Hasan of Yudhoyono's Democratic party responded to the call by saying "Tell the NGOs to see me.”

PINGIT ARIA

Carbon Gas Emission

During the summit meeting of World G-20 learders in Pittsburg, U.S.A last September, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) promised that Indonesia will reduce Carbon Gas Emission by 26% in the year 2020.

As a consequence of this promise, Indonesia should stop deforestation and start  replanting trees in the  forests that have been cut down for commercial plantation, mining, etc.

Today, 6 month after SBY made his above promise, unfortunately the media have been reporting that there is no sign that deforestation will stop, as a matter of fact it seems that deforestation will be getting worst in   the years to come. This can be seen from the government's plan to give licenses to mining companies, commercial plantations and  electric power company to operate  in protected forests.

In spite of the above, there are also good news i.e. about the actions of international food companies i.e. Unilever and Nestle to stop buying Palm Oil from Indonesian company Sinar Mas because it's Palm Plantations continued to expand into rain forests and critical Orangutan habitat.

For details, please click here, here, here and here.

I hope that the government would stop giving license to commercial companies to operate in protected forests and start massive replanting of forest, so that SBY can fulfill his promise to reduce 26% Carbon Gas Emission in 2020.


Photo : Courtesy of Google.

More Deforestration

Last year, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono promised the international community that Indonesia will reduce its Gas Carbon emission to 26% by 2010.

When I read about that promise, I thought that Indonesia would stop deforestation and start replanting forest trees.

That's why I was very surprised when I read on The Jakarta Globe that President SBY has signed a decree that will allow mining, power plants and other projects deemed strategically important to take place in protected forests. This means that more deforestation can be expected in the coming future.

Frankly speaking, I hope that the news is not true.

Indonesia continues to have one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. (Reuters Photo/Yusuf Ahmad)

Indonesia's Protected Forests Now Open to Development

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has signed a decree to allow mining, power plants and other projects deemed strategically important to take place in protected forests.

The decree, which took effect on Feb. 1, is certain to anger environmental groups given that the country already has one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world.

“The use of forest areas for development activities can be done for unavoidable strategic purposes,” said the decree, which said key development projects included power plants, renewable energy, toll roads and train lines.

The decree said open-pit and underground mining could take place in production forests, which is a forest area considered neglected or abandoned after trees have been cut.

“In a protected forest, mining can be done through underground mining,” the decree said.

The decree defined mining activities as including oil and gas, minerals, coal and geothermal.

Yudhoyono has pledged to cut red tape and prevent overlapping regulations from slowing down projects ranging from mining to toll roads. Increasing exploitation of mineral resources and speeding up infrastructure development are seen as keys to boosting growth and creating jobs.

State-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina has urged the Forestry Ministry to allow geothermal activities in protected forests as most of the country’s geothermal reserves are located in these areas.

There has frequently been confusion over whether companies can exploit resources in forest areas, with various ministries requiring permits.

The Forestry Ministry recently asked Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold to submit a request to use land in a protected forest area, a ministry official said on Tuesday. Freeport operates the huge Grasberg copper and gold mine in Papua. Grasberg has the world’s largest recoverable reserves of copper and the largest gold reserves.

In 2004, the government allowed 13 mining firms, including Freeport, to continue mining operations after the introduction of a law in 1999 that banned open-pit mining in forested areas.

Last month, police temporarily shut the Jorong coal mine in Kalimantan operated by a unit of Thailand’s top coal miner, Banpu, over a permit problem. Banpu said the closure would only have a slight impact on production at its domestic unit, PT Indo Tambangraya Megah.

Indonesia has struggled to attract fresh investment into mining, as well as for developing new oil and gas fields, partly due to uncertain regulations and red tape.

The government has previously said it expected mining investment to hit $2.5 billion this year, up from $1.81 billion in 2009, supported by greater certainty after the introduction of new mining regulations.


Reuters

Can Indonesia Stop Deforestration ?

In 2007, a World Bank study has named Indonesia as the third largest emitter of greenhouses after China and the United States, largely due to its rapid deforestation.

In reaction to this, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) promised that Indonesia will cut gas emission by 26% by 2020, or 41% by that year if supported by other countries. This means that Indonesia will drastically reduce deforestation and replant trees in severely damaged forests in the islands of Kalimantan, Sumatera and other islands. Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan mentioned about a  plan to add an extra 21.15 million hectares (52.26 million acres) of forest by 2020.

This leads us to a question : Can Indonesia Stop Deforestation ? Here is a related article that I found on Kompas.

Can Indonesia Meet Emission Target with Its Forest Plan?

Kamis, 7 Januari 2010 | 09:28 WIB

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - An ambitious Indonesian plan to plant millions of hectares of forest should allow the country to exceed its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter by 2020, the forestry minister said on Wednesday. Indonesia was named in a 2007 World Bank study as the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States, largely due to its rapid rate of deforestation.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged to cut emissions by 26 percent from business as usual levels by 2020 or by 41 percent by 2020 if given sufficient international support. Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the plan to add an extra 21.15 million hectares (52.26 million acres) of forest by 2020 would turn the country from a net carbon emitter to into a net carbon sink.

“If the scenario described proceeds, if the planting proceeds, we can reach more than 26 percent (in emissions cuts),” he told reporters after the presentation. “If we can also eradicate illegal logging, then the 26 percent will be achieved entirely in the forestry and peat sector.”

The target appears ambitious since Indonesia currently has one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world. Hasan said there were 130 million hectares of forest left in the country but only 48 million hectares were in good condition.

Under the new plan, he said 500,000 hectares of new forest would be planted annually at a cost of 2.5 trillion rupiah ($269 million) per year. An extra 300,000 hectares of degraded forest would be rehabilitated every year funded by the government and money from Australia, Norway, Korea and the private sector, he added.

“And it all must be verified. That is in our best interest, so that in future, other countries can see it is transparent, open and will want to help,” he said. Indonesia last year set up a legal framework to encourage forest preservation projects operating under a U.N.-backed scheme called reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).

Under the scheme, polluters can earn tradeable carbon credits by paying developing nations not to chop down trees. However, powerful illegal logging syndicates have helped accelerate forest destruction in Indonesia and Hasan said that combatting such forces required cooperation between district officials as well as law enforcement officials.

Fitrian Ardiansyah, climate change programme director for WWF Indonesia, welcomed the forest plan but said it may not address the main source of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Most emissions in this sector usually come from forests being converted to grow crops, build infrastructure, settlements and set up mining operations; illegal and destructive logging outside and inside legal forest concessions; and forest and land fires to clear space for some agricultural lands,” he said. Ardiansyah said the government should focus on conservation and using remaining primary and high conservation value forests and terrestrial ecosystems in a sustainable way.

The Climate Change Conference

Yesterday, leaders of 120 countries reached a non-legally-binding agreement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Plus-minus of said agreement a.k.a the Copenhagen Accord as quoted from The Guardian.

What was agreed at Copenhagen – and what was left out

National leaders and sleep-deprived negotiators thrashed out a text late last night that could determine the balance of power in the world and possibly the future of our species. The list below gives a breakdown of the key points:

Temperature
"The increase in global temperature should be below two degrees."
This will disappoint the 100-plus nations who wanted a lower maximum of 1.5C, including many small island states who fear that even at this level their homes may be submerged.

Peak date for carbon emissions
"We should co-operate in achieving the peaking of global and national emissions as soon as possible, recognising that the time frame for peaking will be longer in developing countries …" This vague phrase is a disappointment to those who want nations to set a date for emissions to fall, but will please developing countries who want to put the economy first.

Emissions cuts
"Parties commit to implement individually or jointly the quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 as listed in appendix 1 before 1 February 2010."

This phrase commits developed nations to start work almost immediately on reaching their mid-term targets. For the US, this is a weak 14-17% reduction on 2005 levels; for the EU, a still-to-be-determined goal of 20-30% on 1990 levels; for Japan, 25% and Russia 15-25% on 1990 levels. The accord makes no mention of 2050 targets, which dropped out of the text over the course of the day.

Forests
"Substantial finance to prevent deforestation; adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity."
This is crucial because more than 15% of emissions are attributed to the clearing of forests. Conservation groups are concerned that this phrase lacks safeguards.

Money
"The collective commitment by developed countries is to provide new and additional resources amounting to $30bn for 2010-12 … Developed countries set a goal of mobilising jointly $100bn a year by 2020 to address needs of developing countries."
This is the cash that oils the deal. The first section is a quick financial injection from rich nations to support developing countries' efforts. Longer term, a far larger sum of money will be committed to a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund. But the agreement leaves open the questions of where the money will come from, and how it will be used.

Key elements of earlier drafts dropped during yesterday's negotiations:

An attempt to replace Kyoto
"Affirming our firm resolve to adopt one or more legal instruments …"
This preamble, killed off during the day, was the biggest obstacle for negotiators. It left open the question of whether to continue a twin-track process that maintains Kyoto, or whether to adopt a single agreement. Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada are desperate to move to a one-track approach, but developing nations refused to kill off the protocol.

Deadline for a treaty
"… as soon as possible and no later than COP16 …"
This appeared in the morning draft and disappeared during the day; it set a December 2010 date for the conclusion of a legally binding treaty. The final text drops this date, but small print suggests it will still be next year.