Only 20 Percent of Indonesian Forest in Good Condition

TEMPO Interactive 8 Apr 10;

Wonosobo: Forestry and Spatial Planning Minister, Zulkifli Hasan, said damage to forests have reached a critical level. Only 20 percent of the total forest area are regarded to be in good condition. “The law cites that at least 30 percent of the forest area must be in a good condition,” he said yesterday.

According to Zulkifli, out of some 130 million hectares of forest area, 40 million hectares are still in good condition. This area consists of natural, primary forest.

Around 48 million hectares are critical due to past government policies, covering the production of forest management up to the cutting down of trees.

Meanwhile, the other 42 million hectares have been totally demolished. “It is a forest area, but the forest no longer exists,” he said.

The biggest damage, Zulkifly said, has happened in Sumatra, followed by Kalimantan. Now, forest damages have spread to eastern Indonesia like in the provinces of Papua and Maluku, he said.

ANANG ZAKARIA