ID :
58922
Tue, 05/05/2009 - 08:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/58922
The shortlink copeid
RI PRIORITIZING PROTECTION OF OUTERMOST ISLES
Jakarta, May 4 (ANTARA) - Indonesia is prioritizing the protection of 92 of its outermost isles from being submerged as a result of the rise in the sea level due to global warming.
The director general of coastal areas and isles at the ministry of fisheries and marine resources, Syamsul Maarif, said here on Monday "outermost isles will receive special treatment and so our sea borders will not change as a result of climate change."
He said the government would work hard to maintain the isles to prevent a shift in the country's territory and exclusive economic zone.
"We have an example about it. The Nipah isle which used to be almost vanishing as a result sand mining activity is now being 60 percent restored so that out waters' border in the Riau Islands is not changed," he said.
He said the government had spent Rp400 billion to reclaim the Nipah isle and the effort had already been done since 2005.
With regard to efforts to mitigate threat of being submerged on 17,480 other isles following climate change he said various anticipatory measures had been made.
"We have taken measures both soft and hard. The most important thing is saving the populated isles first," he said.
He said Indonesia had 10,000 populated islands and minister of fisheries and marine resources Freddy Numberi had already had an idea to set areas for accommodating people who lost residential areas because the isles they lived on so far were submerged following increasing sea level.
He said Indonesia had also set aside islands to accommodate citizens from other countries whose territories had been submerged.
"Maldives has even discussed leasing with India in anticipation of its territory being submerged because of increasing sea level," he said.
Maldives is an island country with its land at just 1.3 meter above sea level. It is predicted the country will be submerged in 2050 as the rate of sea level increase has now reached 2.53 milimeters a year," he said.
The director general of coastal areas and isles at the ministry of fisheries and marine resources, Syamsul Maarif, said here on Monday "outermost isles will receive special treatment and so our sea borders will not change as a result of climate change."
He said the government would work hard to maintain the isles to prevent a shift in the country's territory and exclusive economic zone.
"We have an example about it. The Nipah isle which used to be almost vanishing as a result sand mining activity is now being 60 percent restored so that out waters' border in the Riau Islands is not changed," he said.
He said the government had spent Rp400 billion to reclaim the Nipah isle and the effort had already been done since 2005.
With regard to efforts to mitigate threat of being submerged on 17,480 other isles following climate change he said various anticipatory measures had been made.
"We have taken measures both soft and hard. The most important thing is saving the populated isles first," he said.
He said Indonesia had 10,000 populated islands and minister of fisheries and marine resources Freddy Numberi had already had an idea to set areas for accommodating people who lost residential areas because the isles they lived on so far were submerged following increasing sea level.
He said Indonesia had also set aside islands to accommodate citizens from other countries whose territories had been submerged.
"Maldives has even discussed leasing with India in anticipation of its territory being submerged because of increasing sea level," he said.
Maldives is an island country with its land at just 1.3 meter above sea level. It is predicted the country will be submerged in 2050 as the rate of sea level increase has now reached 2.53 milimeters a year," he said.
