Deforested peatland cleared to make pulp and paper products in Sumatra, Indonesia in 2014. Photo:Getty
Indonesian forest protection rollback after coronavirus budget cuts
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | JUNE 25th 2020
Due to major budget cuts that had to be made in light of the pandemic COVID-19 coronavirus over in Indonesia, the country was forced to commit to a severe rollback in its rainforest protection schemes, right before the season of forest fires, according to the environment ministry.
Some of the world’s most important tropical forests are located in Indonesia, and with rising global temperatures, especially around summertime, it gets more and more difficult to battle the forest fires that spread in the driest season. Many of the forests put at risk through this decision to curb protections are known to be bigger than both the Amazon and the Congo, hosting over one-tenth of the world’s mammal species. One such species is the endangered orangutan.
An environment ministry official said that a 50% budget cut had been made in regards to the team usually in charge of seeking out and putting out fires around these forests – a result of the severe economic impact.
Over £40 billion (nearly $50 billion) has been channelled over to emergency services and programmes in light of the coronavirus in Indonesia, which has already killed over 2,600 people in the country. The forecast for Indonesia’s economy is dire, having been predicted to shrink for the first time since 1999.
The head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia Forest campaign, Kiki Taufik, said that “There is a real risk of another ecological and health disaster in 2020.”
According to environmentalists, the negative impacts of the environmental protection rollback in the country could be major. Satellite imagery reveals a far higher loss of primary forests this year than in previous years, according to the Global Forest Watch’s “deforestation alerts.” The fires in 2019 were the worst since 2015.
“We are relying more on reports from the public because patrolling has reduced,” Agus Maksum, a firefighter from the Indonesian Forest Fire Control Brigade in the fire prone Kalimantan island, told Reuters. “We are also reaching out to the public via social media, on what to do if they detect a fire.”
Basar Manullang, the director of forest fire control over at the Indonesian environmental ministry told Reuters that “Integrated patrol areas had to be cut by 34%,” in reference to forest patrols involving the joint efforts of the forest fire brigade, police, army, and occasionally civilian volunteers.
This week, parliament was told by the environment and forest minister that in order to effectively fight forest fires this year, an additional £28 million ($35 million) to the budget would be necessary. In the meantime, the country’s President Joko Widodo expressed his belief that fewer forest fire issues will arise if a tougher enforcement of laws is established, stating that “99% of forest fires occur because of humans.”
According to Ruandha Agung Sugardiman, the director general of climate change control in environment and forestry ministry, the series of layoffs that followed the outbreak of the virus in the country had encouraged many people to clear their lands for crop planting, through the use of fire. A dangerous manner of clearing if not properly monitored or controlled, which has led to several past incidents.
By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020
