INDONESIA ESTH HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY 2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000360 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/ETC, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/PCI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV TPHY TBIO TRGY ENRG ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA ESTH HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY 2008 IN THIS ISSUE -------------- -- Mining Pollutes South Kalimantan Coastal Areas -- Indonesia Faces Significant Water Pollution, Sanitation Challenges -- Environmental Film Festival Held in Jakarta -- Jakarta Province to Expand Open Green Areas -- Cement Companies Accused of Illegally Processing Hazardous Wastes -- BPPT Adds to its Palm Oil Biodiesel Plants -- Owa Jawa Monkeys Prepared for Release -- GOI Bans Import of Ozone-Depleting Chemicals -- LAPAN Evaluates Satellite -- Surabaya Provides Multimedia Training to the Poor -- Tangerang Blood Supply Dwindling -- Cigarette Ads Under Increased Scrutiny ENVIRONMENT -------------- MINING POLLUTES SOUTH KALIMANTAN COASTAL AREAS -------------- -- ¶1. The South Kalimantan Regional Environmental Impact Agency (BAPEDALDA) examined coastal and mangrove forests in South Kalimantan and found that iron ore mining activities have polluted around 70 percent of the coastal area, the agency head announced on January 14. The mining activities have caused the waters in the area to turn red and have a high metal content. Besides iron ore mining, coal mining, mangrove encroachment, and aquaculture pond activities contributed to water pollution in the area. The Chairman of Saijaan (Kotabaru Regency) Fishery Association added that fishery resources in the area are decreasing, affecting local fishermen's incomes. INDONESIA FACES SIGNIFICANT WATER POLLUTION, SANITATION CHALLENGES -------------- -------------- ¶2. In a January 22 discussion on "Facing International Sanitation Year 2008" in Jakarta, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported that Indonesia ranked second in severity of water pollution issues, after China. Lack of sanitation has contributed to the issue, the report said, estimating that water pollution levels have resulted in a loss of 45 trillion rupiah ($4.6 billion) or 2.2 percent of Indonesia's Gross National Product (GNP). In 2007, the National Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS) estimated that 19.67 percent of Indonesians do not have access to sanitation services, and that only 40.67 percent of them have access to a septic tank. The rest use rivers, ponds, and open fields for their wastes. In fiscal year 2008, the Ministry of Public Works has allocated 2.3 trillion rupiah ($249,739,116) for drinking water and sanitation from its total budget (36.1 trillion rupiah or $3.91 billion). ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL HELD IN JAKARTA -------------- ¶3. On January 22, the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) organized a second South-to-South (StoS) Film Festival in Jakarta. JATAM Coordinator Siti Maimunah explained that they conducted this event to convey messages of environmental impacts caused by natural resources exploitation. Organizers held the event on January 25-27, 2008 at the Goethe Institute in Jakarta and chose "Vote for Life" as the event's theme. There were 16 films from various countries, which highlighted issues on forestry, mining, sea pollution, and global warming. JAKARTA PROVINCE TO EXPAND OPEN GREEN AREAS -------------- -------------- ¶4. In a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in West Flood Canal, Cideng Sub-district, the Head of the Jakarta Parks Service Office announced that the provincial administration plans to expand open green areas to 4-5 hectares in 2008. The Jakarta Parks Service Office has submitted a 40 billion rupiah ($4.3 million) proposal to the regional budgeting committee to implement the plan. Governor of Jakarta Fauzi Wibowo supported the event sponsor PT Honda's environmental program and asked that more private companies participate actively in "greening" Jakarta. CEMENT COMPANIES ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY PROCESSING HAZARDOUS WASTES JAKARTA 00000360 002 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ¶5. On January 14, the Head of Research and Development for the Indonesian Law on Hazardous Material and Waste Research (Ihwar) Foundation announced that the group suspected two cement companies (PT Holcim Indonesia and PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa) of constructing and operating illegal hazardous waste processing units. The Corporate Communications Manager of PT. Holcim, Jefry Sani, countered that the company did not violate government regulations and emphasized that it had received awards under the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in 2004, 2005 and 2006. PT Holcim also uses fuel resources from rice husks, palm oil and wood wastes for energy sources. Sani added that the company would open its waste processing units for public inspection. BPPT ADDS TO ITS PALM OIL BIODIESEL PLANTS -------------- ¶6. On January 23, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) announced that it would build new biodiesel plants with 3 ton-per-day capacity at the Research Center of Science and Technology (Puspiptek) in Serpong, West Java. The Director of Technology for Energy Resources Development, Unggul Priyanto, stated that global high prices of Crude Palm Oil ($1,000 per ton) and no governmental subsidies are the main challenges of biofuel development. OWA JAWA MONKEYS PREPARED FOR RELEASE -------------- ¶7. The Cikananga Animal Rescue Center in Sukabumi turned over six Owa Jawa monkeys (Hylobates moloch) to the Owa Jawa Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Bogor on January 29 for rehabilitation before their release. The Owa Jawa monkey is native to certain areas of West Java. The species population has fallen due to illegal poaching and dwindling habitat. GOI BANS IMPORT OF OZONE-DEPLETING CHEMICALS -------------- ¶8. The GOI banned imports of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and methyl bromide (CH3Br) for non-quarantine and pre-shipment use starting in January, earlier than the Montreal Protocol's 2010 deadline. The Ministry of Environment explained that they were able to accelerate the phase-out schedule since many of Indonesia's industrial players have already shifted to ozone-friendly substances. The GOI had previously banned imports of halon, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride except for laboratory use in 1998. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -------------- LAPAN EVALUATES SATELLITE -------------- ¶9. The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) held a seminar in Bogor on January 31 to evaluate the performance of the Indonesian/Indian LAPAN-TUBSAT satellite, which the agency launched in January 2007. The GOI hopes to use the satellite to monitor natural resources and the environment, and to help with disaster mitigation. LAPAN is preparing for the construction of the satellite's next generation model. SURABAYA PROVIDES MULTIMEDIA TRAINING TO THE POOR -------------- -------------- ¶10. The Surabaya municipality is providing multimedia training to the urban poor in an effort to alleviate poverty. The Information and Technical Computer Management Institute (STIKOM) in Surabaya organized the training program. Surabaya Vice Mayor Arif Affandi predicted that Surabaya would become a multimedia hub in the near future with its increasing free internet facilities in the city. HEALTH -------------- TANGERANG BLOOD SUPPLY DWINDLING -------------- ¶11. The Tangerang branch of the Red Cross announced that blood supplies in the district are running low due to higher demand. Red Cross officials attributed the increased demand to the rise in the JAKARTA 00000360 003 OF 003 number of cases of dengue fever in the area. The Red Cross plans to hold a series of blood donation events in factories, police stations, and military posts across the regency to try to replenish their supply. CIGARETTE ADS UNDER INCREASED SCRUTINY -------------- ¶12. The Secretary of the National Commission for Child Protection, Arist Merdeka Sirait, said on January 17 that promotional activities that saw underage children receive free cigarettes violated government regulations on cigarette health safety. The Commission conducted a joint study with the University of Muhammadiyah, which found that 90 percent of 353 surveyed junior and senior high school students were familiar with cigarette advertising. Arist added that the study found that cigarettes were provided to children without checking their ages as they entered public events. Tobacco advertising is prominent at local music concerts and sports gatherings. HUME