ID :
66060
Tue, 06/16/2009 - 17:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/66060
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MINISTER: RI`S FOREST AREA COVERS 138 MILLION HECTARES
Jakarta, June 16 (ANTARA) - Forestry Minister MS Kaban has said that Indonesia's forest area covers a total of around 138 million hectares.
"In the documents that I have signed, it is stated that the total size of Indonesian forests is 138 million hectares, not 120 million hectares as so far mentioned," the forestry minister said when officially opening a coordinating meeting on the Central Forestry Development Budget Planning for 2009 here on Thursday.
In addition to the size of the forests, the minister said he also needed to clarify and inform the public about the sizes of forest and land areas in critical condition.
"Since 2003, it has been stated that 59 million hectares of the existing 120 million hectares of Indonesia's total forest areas need to be rehabilitated. As we have implemented the forest rehabilitation program since 2003 through the National Rehabilitation Movement (Gerhan), the size of the critical land should be decreased,' the minister said.
Some three million hectares of critical area have been rehabilitated under the Gerhan program since 2003, meaning that the total critical areas are currently around 56 million hectares.
"I think, such data need to be synchronized so there is no complication of information," the minister said.
The forestry ministry had requested a total budget of Rp10 trillion to manage around 138-million-hectare forests for the year 2010, but only Rp3.1 trillion was approved.
However, the budget for the fiscal year 2010 is up from Rp2.6 trillion in 2009.
Last Monday (June 15), Greenpeace said that since 1982, Riau Province (Sumatra Island) had lost around 65 percent of its forests due to rampant deforestation.
"Deforestation has caused Riau to lose forest areas faster than ever before," Bustas Maitar, am environmental campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.***
"In the documents that I have signed, it is stated that the total size of Indonesian forests is 138 million hectares, not 120 million hectares as so far mentioned," the forestry minister said when officially opening a coordinating meeting on the Central Forestry Development Budget Planning for 2009 here on Thursday.
In addition to the size of the forests, the minister said he also needed to clarify and inform the public about the sizes of forest and land areas in critical condition.
"Since 2003, it has been stated that 59 million hectares of the existing 120 million hectares of Indonesia's total forest areas need to be rehabilitated. As we have implemented the forest rehabilitation program since 2003 through the National Rehabilitation Movement (Gerhan), the size of the critical land should be decreased,' the minister said.
Some three million hectares of critical area have been rehabilitated under the Gerhan program since 2003, meaning that the total critical areas are currently around 56 million hectares.
"I think, such data need to be synchronized so there is no complication of information," the minister said.
The forestry ministry had requested a total budget of Rp10 trillion to manage around 138-million-hectare forests for the year 2010, but only Rp3.1 trillion was approved.
However, the budget for the fiscal year 2010 is up from Rp2.6 trillion in 2009.
Last Monday (June 15), Greenpeace said that since 1982, Riau Province (Sumatra Island) had lost around 65 percent of its forests due to rampant deforestation.
"Deforestation has caused Riau to lose forest areas faster than ever before," Bustas Maitar, am environmental campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.***
