JakartaGlobe-Dec 3
The Environment Ministry will summon eight companies next week over allegations that their role in deforestation contributed to the massive floods and landslides that devastated large parts of Sumatra and left nearly 800 people dead, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said on Wednesday. Although several of the firms possess official permits, Hanif stressed that operating licenses do not shield companies from legal consequences if they are proven to have caused environmental degradation. According to Hanif, preliminary findings show that several companies converted large swaths of forest into dry agricultural land. Around 340,000 hectares of forest have reportedly been altered, including 50,000 hectares in upstream areas that are now bare, significantly reducing the land’s ability to absorb rainwater. This widespread deforestation, Hanif said, has made the region extremely vulnerable to flooding even during moderate rainfall. In Aceh alone, 9.7 billion cubic meters of rainwater fell over the past two days, a volume the degraded landscape could no longer contain. Hanif also acknowledged the possibility of local government involvement in illegal logging and destructive land-use policies. The ministry, he added, will impose sanctions where scientific assessments show regional policies have worsened environmental conditions. “We will not hesitate to sanction regional governments if their policies aggravate landscape degradation,” he said. Possible penalties include restoring forest status to degraded land and imposing administrative fines. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/eight-firms-called-in-as-deforestation-linked-to-sumatra-disaster
