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Indonesia losing 3.6 mil. hectares of forest annually WWF+

Posted on: Monday, 22 December 2003, 06:00 CST

JAKARTA, Dec. 22 (Kyodo) -- Forestry crimes in Indonesia have resulted in the loss of about 3.6 million hectares of forests annually in the past five years, a nongovernmental conservation organization said Monday.

''It is about 13 times the size of a soccer field every minute,'' Mubariq Ahmad, executive director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia, told a press conference.

''At such a rate, we are worried that by 2010 there will be no more forests on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan,'' he said.

During 2003 alone, WWF data show that in several provinces, stern actions were only taken for seven cases of forestry crimes.

Official data say that of 647 natural disasters in Indonesia, 85% were caused by floods and landslides triggered by illegal logging in the forests.

Agus Setyarso, WWF-Indonesia senior policy adviser, blamed the problems on a lack of good governance in Indonesia.

''For years, forestry has only been seen as an instrument to support development,'' Agus said.

And with the lack of good governance, Agus said ''a new force'' consisting of strong capital holders has emerged to take control of the country's forests from the hands of the government.

Calling on all levels of society to work hand-in-hand in eradicating forestry crimes, the WWF urged the government to enforce the laws against the main perpetrators of illegal logging and those who protect them.

If not, Agus warned, ''Disasters will await us behind the door.''

Illegal logging activities in the country produce 50.7 million cubic meters of timber annually, resulting in financial losses to the state of at least 30.42 trillion rupiah (about $3.6 billion).

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