JAKARTA (UCAN): Environmentalists in Indonesia have warned that recent floods and other ecological disasters that have struck Kalimantan in the past two years are the result of greed in the mining and palm oil plantation industries, whose operations have impacted more then 30,000 people.
Heavy rain sparked floods on January 15 that swept through 11 of 14 districts and cities in South Kalimantan killing than 20 people. Several regions were still flooded as of January 22.
According to the Regional Disaster Management Agency, 21 people died and six were still missing, while more than 67,800 people fled their homes. More than 19,400 houses and other places including 1,385 schools were inundated.
According to the Regional Disaster Management Agency, 21 people died and six were still missing, while more than 67,800 people fled their homes. More than 19,400 houses and other places including 1,385 schools were inundated.
“About 50 per cent of 3.7 million hectares in South Kalimantan has been exploited, with about 1.2 million hectares for mining and 620,000 hectares for palm oil plantations,” forum director, Kisworo Dwi Cahyono, explained.
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment in South Kalimantan says there are 814 mines owned by 157 coal companies in Kalimantan that have laid waste to trees, thereby reducing rain absorption.
“About 50 per cent of 3.7 million hectares in South Kalimantan has been exploited, with about 1.2 million hectares for mining and 620,000 hectares for palm oil plantations,” forum director, Kisworo Dwi Cahyono, explained.
He said the remaining forest accounts for only 29 per cent of the land in the province.
The Barito River, the main waterway flowing through Central and South Kalimantan provinces, can no longer accommodate runoff and often overflows, the environmentalist said.
He called for regional and central governments, as well as for the country’s president, Joko Widodo, to evaluate all permits given to local or foreign companies.
Widodo, he said, should revoke permits of companies that have triggered disasters and stop issuing new permits to save the forest and the people. “Ecological disasters will happen again if the government doesn’t act,” he said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Melky Nahar of the Mining Advocacy Network, who said the recent flooding showed that Kalimantan was a ticking time bomb.
“It happened because forests have been sacrificed for mining and palm oil plantations,” he said.
He said flooding occurred in 77 mining concession areas in South Kalimantan, which showed floods are closely linked to forest destruction by companies.
“The government should halt giving concessions unless trees are replanted to prevent more flooding, otherwise it will happen again and again,” he said.
Widodo blamed the flooding on high rainfall and a weather anomaly while visiting flood victims in South Kalimantan on January 19. “The Barito River couldn’t take the flow of water,” he said.
However, Frans Sani Lake, director of the Church-run Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation group in the Kalimantan region, accused the president of not accepting reality, saying the flooding was not triggered by extreme weather but by ecological damage.
“We were not surprised when parts of the island were flooded because Kalimantan is controlled by large palm oil plantations and mining firms,” he said.
He also called on the government to stop issuing permits for new concessions or expansions.
Arie Kompas, a Greenpeace Indonesia campaigner, said the flood was the result of 304,000 hectares of forest along big rivers, including the Barito River, having been converted into plantations from 2001 to 2019.
He said the forests in Kalimantan decreased significantly from 33.2 million hectares in 2000 to 24.8 million in 2017.
