Java’s environmental capacity critical: Study

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 4 Mar 10;

A study conducted by the government has found that the environmental capacity of Java is at a critical level, mainly because of the extensive physical developments and lack of environmental concerns.

The concept of environmental capacity refers to the capacity of the environment to accommodate a particular activity or rate of an activity without undesirable impacts.

The finding means Java, which is a model for development in other provinces, can no longer accommodate further physical development without unacceptable impacts, an official said.

“Ideally, there should be no more developments in Java, particularly projects to extract natural resources,” Hermien Rosita, deputy for spatial planning at the Environment Ministry said at the sidelines of a seminar Wednesday.

The preliminary study said the environmental capacity of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi were also at risk of becoming critical due to intensive development.

“If development continues at the current rate in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, the environmental capacity of these islands would be soon be critical, just like Java,” Hermien said.

The concept is considered crucial to the promotion of sustainable development.

The government’s study was based on an assessment of spatial planning proposed by local administrations.

Experts have warned that environmental damage was the main cause of the increasingly frequent natural disasters across the country.

More than 100 officials from several departments and regional environmental agencies attended the seminar on the implementation of the 2009 Environmental Law, which was opened by Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta.

The law obliges the government to assess the environment capacity and to map the natural resources in region.

The data would be used as a basis for policy makers to determine strategic plans for environmental protection and management.

The law requires local administrations to formulate strategic environmental assessments to ensure the sustainable development of their respective areas.

The law also stipulates that the government and local administrations consider strategic environmental assessments in their spatial planning and mid- to long-term development planning.

The assessment includes the environmental capacity for development and an assessment of environmental impacts on the projects and the ecosystem services.

The director general of regional development at the Home Ministry, Syamsul Arief Rivai, said the strategic assessment and spatial planning should form a basis for local administrations to run the physical development in their areas.

“There will no development without the strategic assessments and spatial planning documents. Budgets will also be allocated based on approved spatial planning,” he said.

Syamsul warned that the current rate of environment damage exceeded rehabilitation efforts, further degrading the environmental capacity.

The executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) warned that it was time for the Environment Ministry to take real action to protect the environment.

“Gusti must take the lead in protecting the environment as he has the backing of a powerful environment law. Otherwise, other ministries will continue ignoring the law,” he said.

He urged the ministry to stop issuing new business permits for industries or forest conversion, mainly in Java.

The environmental law says business entities should secure environmental permits before they can receive business licenses.

Hermien said under the 2010 governmental regulation on forest conversions, the reclassification of forest functions could only be done with a strategic environmental assessment.

The regulation allows the reclassification of protected and conservation forests into production forests.