WALHI Warns About Destruction of Aceh Forests
Monday, 01 December, 2008 | 16:20 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Banda Aceh:Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam's Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has called on all parties to refrain from adding to the forest destruction in Aceh Otherswise serious flooding will hit Aceh, as evidenced by what has happened last week.

"If we do not correct our forestry policy, floods and landslides will always strike during the rainy season," Aceh WALHI's executive-director, Bambang Antariksa, told Tempo last Saturday.

Bambang said forest clearance to make way for plantations and mining projects are no different from illegal logging in Aceh. "We will see a more damaged and denuded forests in the west, south, and southeast of Aceh," he said.

According to Bambang, from 2000 to 2006, Aceh lost 1,1 million hectares of forests. The figure was based on a data on Aceh forest area in 2000, which was around 3,5 million hectares (Source: Forestry Minister Decree). Meanwhile, based on a satellite mapping, the total forest areas in 2006 was 2,3 million hectares.

This means, every year Aceh loses 193.000 hectares of forests. "It is time for the Aceh administration to find a solution to prevent floods from becoming an annual thing," Bambang said.

Deputy governor Muhammad Nazar said his office is working on the area to minimize the floods. "The current floods in Aceh is the impact of illegal logging and the forestry concession issue in the past," he said.

From Palembang, South Sumatra, heavy rains yesterday caused flooding in Kalidoni, Bukit Sangkal, Pakjo, Yuka, Sekip and Gresik. "The reason was because the Bendung River overflowed," said Ibnu, a Sekip resident.

The floods also swamped 11 villages in three sub-districts in Buol, Central Sulawesi. Thousands of villagers had to relocate to the highlands, leaving their homes and belongings inundated.

Meanwhile in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, the water levels had started to decline yesterday.

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