VZCZCXRO5895
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0360/01 0560134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250134Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8073
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2038
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4739
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1551
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4417
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3365
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
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