Indonesia
MASSIVE EROSION CAUSES FLOODING ON INDONESIAN ISLAND
07/31/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
21

The island of Java has seen massive flooding as a result of deforestation. A mangrove forest that once surrounded the village Mangunharjo was clear-cut to facilitate shrimp and fish farms. The mangroves’ decline exposed Mangunharjo to massive erosion. In less than a decade, it wiped away the fishponds and almost sank the village. Locals have taken to replanting mangroves to curb the effects of erosion, and have seen improvement. The efforts have reclaimed 200 meters of land. Mangroves are crucial in the fight against climate change.

COAL EXPLORATION THREATENS INDONESIA'S FOOD PRODUCTION
07/10/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
19

Indonesia’s goal of achieving food self-sufficiency, especially for rice, might be in doubt as the country converts agricultural land into coal mining sites. Researchers for the Waterkeeper Alliance and the Mining Advocacy Network found that 19 percent of Indonesia's rice-growing land falls within exploration or mining concessions for coal. The study calculated that coal mining already costs the country 1.7 million tons of potential rice production, and another 6 million tons of current production are under threat.

RESTORATION OF INDONESIAN CORAL REEF PUT ON HOLD 
06/26/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
18

On Mar. 4, the 90-meter-long Caledonian Sky, owned by tour operator Noble Caledonia, ran aground at low tide on a shoal at the Crossover Reef dive site at Raja Ampat. Nearly 205,000 square feet of reef were damaged in the accident. The Indonesian government cannot restore the coral reef until it reaches a settlement with Noble Caledonia. Noble Caledonia has pledged to cooperate with the Indonesian government to reach a fair settlement, but scientists say that compensation should be higher than normal because of the area's high marine biodiversity.

ASIAN COUNTRIES VOW TO KEEP PLASTIC WASTE OUT OF OCEANS
06/12/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
17

At a UN oceans summit, delegates from China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines said they would work to keep plastics out of the seas. It is estimated that 5-13 million tons of plastics flow into the world's oceans annually. The Helmholtz Centre in Leipzig, Germany, estimated that 75% of land-borne marine pollution comes from just 10 rivers, predominantly in Asia.

INDONESIAN MINISTRY LOOKS TO EXTEND MORATORIUM ON FOREST PERMITS
05/15/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
14

The Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry wants to extend by two years a moratorium on granting permits to use primary forest and peatland. The moratorium, passed in 2011, was initially instituted in order to reduce carbon emissions from forest fires caused by deforestation. The government has been under pressure to address the rampant deforestation and forest fires in the country, as these lands are still being used by farmers (despite an extant moratorium) and are being drained for use as palm oil plantations.

INDONESIA ANNOUNCES NEW INITATIVES TO EASE CONCERNS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
03/20/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
9

During a rare congress of the Indigenous People's Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) underway in a Sumatran village, Indonesian forestry minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar outlined initiatives to bolster indigenous rights. However, the announcement was met with much skepticism as it fell short of the campaign promises made by President Joko Widodo, which included pledges to fight for a law on indigenous rights, create a national mechanism for resolving land conflicts, end the criminalization of indigenous persons and more.

INDONESIAN SUPREME COURT GRANTS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST TO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP
03/13/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
8

Two months ago Forest Watch Indonesia took a freedom of information request to that coutnry's Supreme Court in order to better monitor for illegal activity. The Ministry of Land and Spatial Planning had previously agreed to release information on the location of the forest concessions, but refused to release the title of the permit holder, claiming it was a violation of privacy.

INDONESIAN GREEN GROUPS GO TO COURT OVER FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
01/23/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
2

Civil society groups in Indonesia have gone to court to request information from the government on the oil palm industry operating in the country. These green groups have requested maps of lands where oil palm companies have been licensed to operate, including the names of the companies; they want to monitor for illegal activity, as the industry is infamous for operating outside of where it is licensed. The Ministry of Land and Spatial Planning maintains that disclosing the permit holder’s name, in addition to the spatial information, would be a violation of the company’s privacy.

INDONESIA PASSES LAW ON PEATLANDS TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
12/12/2016
Update Volume
46
Update Issue
35

Last week, Indonesia passed a ban preventing the conversion of peatlands into plantations, particularly palm oil plantations. Peat soils sequester huge amounts of carbon. When they are drained and burned, they release significant quantities of carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. In Indonesia, the decomposition and burning of peatlands contribute to almost half of Indonesia’s total carbon emissions.

INDONESIA GIVES GREENLIGHT TO CONTROVERSIAL LAND RECLAMATION PROJECT
11/14/2016
Update Volume
46
Update Issue
32

On October 20, an Indonesian court overturned a lower court's earlier ruling that developer PT Muara Wisesa Samudra must halt land reclamation activities in Jakarta Bay. In 2014, the development company was granted a permit to construct 17 artificial islands in the North Jakarta coast to reduce pollution and create new lands for housing developments in the densely populated city.

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