Indonesia gets mixed reviews on wildlife crime efforts
WWF gave Indonesia mixed reviews for combating wildlife crime in its Wildlife Crime Scorecard: Assessing Compliance with and Enforcement of CITES Commitments for Tigers, Rhinos and Elephants. The conservation group said Indonesia is failing to effectively protect endangered tigers and elephants, but is doing a better job with rhinos. India and Nepal rated as the best countries, with green cards for each of the three species. Vietnam, a major source of demand for illegal wildlife products, ranked the worst.
Ministry of Forestry says timber certification will improve Indonesia’s image abroad
Despite opposition from some stakeholders, including the furniture industry which says certification costs are too high, Director of Processing and Marketing of Forest Products of Forestry Ministry, Sudharto Dwi says the SVLK timber certification scheme coming into effect in December 2013 will “eliminate the negative stigma that Indonesia ‘the nation of thieves'” due to the international perception that up to 80 percent of Indonesian wood is illegal.
Finland provides grant for energy generation from smallholders’ palm oil waste products
The Finnish government awarded 180,000 Euros to an Indonesian consortium to develop a plan to create energy
generation facilities that utilize waste products from small holders oil palm farmers
in Riau, Indonesia. The goal of the project is to create viable energy solutions in the
province and increase livelihoods for small farmers.
Rich nations failing to follow through on climate pledges
The Secretary General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry, Hadi Daryanto, said industrialized nations are failing to follow through on their commitments to support projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Daryanto made his remarks while announcing the ministry’s plan to develop a REDD+ safeguards information system to facilitate the inflow of foreign funds for its REDD+ program.
Separately, Bambang Soepijanto, Planning Director General at the Ministry of Forestry, said reforestation could generate 20 million rupiah ($1,900) per hectare assuming 250 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare and carbon prices at $8 per ton of CO2. He estimates that planting of 500,000 hectares of forest per year could sequester 1.25 billion tons of carbon dioxide. He didn’t specify whether that area pertained to natural forest or timber plantations.
Stranded sperm whale rescued in Java
A sperm whale that washed ashore near a beach in Tanjungpakis, Karawang, West Java was rescued by volunteers.
Indonesia to investigate the killing of a 12-year-old in land dispute
The National Commission on Human Rights will send a team to investigate the July 27th shooting of a 12-year-old boy in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra during a land dispute.
Increased hunting of birds of paradise
Commercial hunting of birds of paradise in Indonesian New Guinea is on the rise, said a tribal leader in Kampung Barawai, Yapen Islands District.
Police can’t resolve land disputes, say NGOs
One of Indonesia’s most prominent NGOs is calling upon the president to resolve land disputes, arguing that “We can’t rely on the police to solve land disputes.” Khallisah Khalid of Walhi made the remarks after Indonesian police killed protesters in Sulawesi and South Sumatra in recent weeks.
Ecology of Balikpapan Bay region at risk from proposed industrial development scheme
The ecology of Balikpapan Bay in East Kalimantan is at risk from a plan to establish a 5,130-ha industrial zone, warns environmentalists. Conversion of coastal ecosystems and the construction of an access road could worsen sedimentation and pollution in the bay, affecting coral reefs and mangroves while destroying habitat for endangered wildlife.
Pengembangan Kawasan Industri Kariangau = Bencana Ekosistem Teluk Balikpapan (Bagian 1)
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