Despite those heartening achievements, more remains to be done. There are still many cases of unsustainable land-use practices. Forests and peat lands of Southeast Asia continue to decline and degrade. In Riau Province, Sumatera, for instance, despite all preventive measures by the provincial stakeholders over the years, forests fires still occur from time to time. I personally witnessed the forest fires there and the devastating effects to the local people and neighboring provinces.
As the local government failed to mitigate the dire situation caused by the fires, I took immediate steps. I deployed disaster relief mission in Riau, coupled by strong law enforcement actions. The mission itself involved military and civilian personnel and assets. Following these measures, over a hundred individuals and a dozen corporations are facing court trials for forestry-related crimes. Crimes that cause HUMANITARIAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS.
This legal measure sends a firm message. Burning land and forests, logging illegally, and farming on illegal plantations either by individuals or companies will not be tolerated nor left unpunished.
Riau forest fires give us many lessons. It was a man-made disaster that disrupted the lives and damaged the health of ordinary law-abiding villagers, town-folks and communities. The haze paralyzed transportation and communications vital to daily lives and services that businesses depend on. And it prevented children access to schools and education.
The two contrasting cases of the Lonca community and the Riau province, further convinced us that forestry governance must be strengthened. This involves accurate forests mapping for conservation and sustainable land use. Through this initiative, we will have a unified map for Indonesia to help settle competing claims to land. At the same time, we will be able to better reduce deforestation and improve the productivity of our natural landscapes. Another effort to strengthen forestry governance is the recent establishment of the REDD+ Agency.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Forest management is a cross-cutting issue, and not only about keeping the trees. It is about striking a balance between the need for conserving the environment, and guaranteeing the rights of local communities over their customary forests. By doing so, we provide them with the means to improve their welfare and economic progress. And this is indeed, in line with Indonesia’s development strategy of sustainable growth with equity.
The central tenet of this strategy is about creating prosperity for everyone, in a way that does not harm the natural environment upon which we all depend.
I am also pleased that the idea of ‘sustainable growth with equity’ has been reflected in the final outcome document of the High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. I do hope that upon the acceptance of the report by the UN General Assembly, the idea will become part of development policies of UN member countries.
Starting next year, we will begin the discussion of the post-Kyoto Protocol process. We will also see the beginning of the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. I believe sustainable forestry will become a critical part of these two processes.
Many hope that the post-Kyoto process will recognize the true value and contribution of forest landscapes—their economic, social and environ-mental values. In this regard, Indonesia and other Asian countries must ensure that the upcoming climate negotiations in Lima, Peru, give particular attention to this matter.
