:: Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia ::

WALHI 11/06/10, Palangkaraya – All Kalimantan WALHI/FoE Indonesia give concern to Indonesia – Norway treaty initiative on Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Cooperative from Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. But it is assured that this treaty will run poorly, recalling that Indonesian government does not have a clear commitment on ecological restoration, especially in Kalimantan.

Moratorium of natural forest and peatland conversion that become one of the icon of this treaty is merely project oriented, neither to save and solve the critical ecological crisis or to protect people livelihood in Kalimantan; recalling that the moratorium conception used is still shallow. REDD+ scheme negates the interests of community within forest sphere to access resources from the forest. It only profits private sector and carbon brokers who sell Kalimantan forests. There is also indication that this treaty will cause local leaders in Kalimantan and Indonesian Forestry Department to rush converting natural forests and peatlands, due to this treaty period of validity is between January 2011 to 2013. Meaning that there are 6 months period to convert natural forests and peatland for natural resources exploitation permits.

The progress of Kalimantan Spatial Planning (RTRWP) processed by the integrated team can still be “played”, recalling that all proposal in the Spatial Planning is still rely on natural forest conversion for plantation, mining and industrial forest permits. The proposal of forest conversion in Kalimantan is estimated up to more than 2.9 million hectare (Central Kalimantan); 1.3 million hectare (East Kalimantan); 1.7 million hectare (West Kalimantan) and 1.4 million hectare (South Kalimantan; already used for plantation, mining and industrial forest activities). This track record shows that natural forest destruction in Kalimantan is growing massively. Meanwhile, there are still a lot of problems in people livelihood management such as: land tenure and social conflict.

As commonly known, in that treaty Indonesian government commit to perform moratorium on natural forest conversion for 2 years period (2011 to 2013). Norway government will also provide incentive fund for Indonesian government worth 1million USD for their commitment on forest rescue effort. This incentive fund usage is predicted to cause new potential problem for corruption.

REDD scheme that will be performed in East, West and Central Kalimantan can not be parted from Global Forest Alliance program to smoothen its forestry agenda issued on 2002, stressing on climate financing. The main result expected from GFA is the increase of intervention and financing in forestry sector on developing countries. GFA concept itself principally had been consulted by major international conservation organizations in Washington DC, including World Wild Foundation (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Conservation International (CI).

World Bank and major NGOs will create GFA specifically aim to obtain potential major funds for climate change including through Forest Carbon Partnership Facilities (FCPF), biocarbon fund (reforestation) and market based disbursement for “environmental services”. Therefore, REDD scheme will only profits carbon “brokers” and “fences”who sell tropical forest in Kalimantan.


Contact:

Isal Wardhana (East Kalimantan Executive) +6281347120807
Ari Rio Rompas (Central Kalimantan Executive) +6281388446422
Hegar WH (South Kalimantan Executive) +628125039814
Blasisus Hendy (West Kalimantan Executive) +6281345132098