INDONESIA - HAZE PROBLEM CONTINUES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 011216 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/IET, OES/IET, AND OES/ETC AID for ANE/TS Mary Melnyk E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV KTIA TPHY TBIO ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA - HAZE PROBLEM CONTINUES REF: A) 05 JAKARTA 10673 B) 05 JAKARTA 09022 C) 06 JAKARTA 10043 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. After surging again at the end of August, the number of forest fires burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan declined in the first week of September. The drop seems to be due in large part to central government pressure on local authorities and plantations to curb burning in advance of the President Yudhoyono's September 4- 5 trip to Singapore. Nevertheless, the number of fires burning remains high and efforts to implement a permanent solution to the haze problem remain limited. End summary. High Level of Haze Production Continues in August -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) As our colleagues in Malaysia are aware, the haze generated from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan worsened during the final week of August, with hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra reaching 2,718 and 690, respectively, on August 25, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite data. Air quality and visibility in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and the surrounding areas continued to deteriorate as a result of the haze, disrupting shipping and aviation in the area, and prompting an increase in respiratory ailments among local residents. The haze also continues to affect neighboring countries. Air quality in the nearby Malaysian town of Kuching reached 157 particles per million (ppm) in late August. (Experts consider a reading over 100 ppm to be unhealthy.) ¶3. (SBU) Although shifting cultivation practices by small farmers contribute to the burning, many outside observers believe plantation clearing is largely to blame. According to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI),roughly 81 percent of the hotspots detected by satellite sensors since 2001 were in areas belonging to private plantations. A number of observers have told us plantation owners often pay small farmers to clear plantation land in order to distance themselves from the activity. ¶4. (SBU) Early September data revealed a decline in the number of hotspots in Sumatra and Kalimantan, although the level remained significant. As of September 5, there were 1,374 hotspots recorded in Kalimantan and 354 hotspots recorded in Sumatra. An increase in rainfall and significant pressure from the central government to stop new burning prior to President Yudhoyono's September 4-5 visit to Singapore, one of many neighboring countries that complained recently about the export of haze, seem to have contributed to the decline. ¶5. (U) More recently, September 10 NOAA data revealed a continued decline in the number of hotspots in Kalimantan and a significant increase in the number of hotspots in Sumatra. The number of hotspots on September 10 in Kalimantan and Sumatra reached 635 and 1,172, respectively. The increase in hotspots in Sumatra was due to both new fires and the hot, dry weather in the region that significantly raised land surface temperatures. NOAA satellites interpret any land area with a surface temperature exceeding 42 degrees Celsius as a hotspot. Recent Increase in Preventive Actions Largely Cosmetic -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In addition to putting pressure on local government leaders to tackle the haze problem, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has stepped up fire fighting efforts in recent weeks, including using helicopters to drop water bombs and seeding clouds to induce rainfall in affected areas. In addition, local authorities recently arrested a group of small farmers suspected of setting fires. While these steps contributed marginally to the reduction in the number of hotspots, they are unlikely to make a permanent dent in the haze problem. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. The haze problem persists in Indonesia in large part due to the local political influence of plantation owners, who produce significant amounts of tax revenue and jobs in the affected areas. As a result, plantation owners in Sumatra and Kalimantan are very often able to clear land cheaply through burning while escaping serious punishment. Unless the economic incentive for local authorities to avoid prosecuting plantation owners changes, haze production is likely to continue at high levels in the years to come. JAKARTA 00011216 002 OF 002 PASCOE