ID :
65173
Wed, 06/10/2009 - 21:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/65173
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SOME 4,000 INDONESIAN ISLANDS UNDER THREAT BY CLIMATE CHANGE
Bandung, Indonesia, June 10 (ANTARA) - Some 4,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago are likely to disappear within a decade as a consequence of extreme global climate change, an environmental official said.
Extreme global climate change would cause the polar ice caps to melt and, as a consequence, the sea level would rise, Dr Henri Bustaman, deputy for communication and community empowerment to the environment minister, said here Wednesday.
The prediction was the result of a simulation conducted by a team from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 2008, Bustaman said.
When high tide occurred in the north coastal areas of Java island not long ago, the surface of the sea water was three meters higher and the water was hot.
"In addition, a number of islands in eastern Indonesia will most probably disappear," he said.
The rise in the sea level would also cause Indonesia to lose a number of its outer-most islands and this would lead its territory to shrink and create border defense weaknesses.
Thus, Indonesia needs to take preventive measures, he said, adding that Indonesia was expected to prevent what happened to the Maldives that has begun to sink forcing 10,000 of its residents to evacuate to New Zealand.
The Environment Ministry would continue to publicize its environment conservation programs, including on the islands, regarding the mangrove planting program to prevent sea water intrusion.
However, the issue of synergy become a problem between the central and regional governments because the latter did not always follow the central government's environmental policies. ***
Extreme global climate change would cause the polar ice caps to melt and, as a consequence, the sea level would rise, Dr Henri Bustaman, deputy for communication and community empowerment to the environment minister, said here Wednesday.
The prediction was the result of a simulation conducted by a team from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 2008, Bustaman said.
When high tide occurred in the north coastal areas of Java island not long ago, the surface of the sea water was three meters higher and the water was hot.
"In addition, a number of islands in eastern Indonesia will most probably disappear," he said.
The rise in the sea level would also cause Indonesia to lose a number of its outer-most islands and this would lead its territory to shrink and create border defense weaknesses.
Thus, Indonesia needs to take preventive measures, he said, adding that Indonesia was expected to prevent what happened to the Maldives that has begun to sink forcing 10,000 of its residents to evacuate to New Zealand.
The Environment Ministry would continue to publicize its environment conservation programs, including on the islands, regarding the mangrove planting program to prevent sea water intrusion.
However, the issue of synergy become a problem between the central and regional governments because the latter did not always follow the central government's environmental policies. ***
