Cablegate: Indonesia Esth Highlights: October 2008

VZCZCXRO2573
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2182/01 3360424
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 010424Z DEC 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0846
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3349
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5678
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2787
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5178
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3459
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 002182

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: OCTOBER 2008

IN THIS ISSUE
-------------

-- Two Biodiesel Plants Begin Production
-- Jakarta Activates Flood Early Warning System
-- Jakarta Needs $20 Million to Reduce Flooding
-- Seaweed for Biofuel
-- Provinces Target Forest Carbon Trade
-- Wehea Forest Received International Award
-- Development of Artificial Coral Reefs
-- Jakarta Loses 20 Million M3 of Water Each Month
-- KPK Investigates Members of Parliament
-- South Sulawesi Hopes to Reduce Forest Destruction
-- Mangrove Trees Planted on Surabaya Beach
-- South Sulawesi Launches a "Go Green" Movement
-- Inadequate Quality Control of Medical Equipment
-- High Malnutrition Rate in Madura
-- Infant Malnutrition in East Java
-- Industrial Waste Contaminates Paddy Fields
-- North Jakarta Vulnerable to TB

ENVIRONMENT
-----------

Two Biodiesel Plants Begin Production
-------------------------------------
1. The Deputy Minister for Research Science and Technology
Development officially inaugurated two biodiesel plants in South
Sumatra and South Kalimantan on October 27. The combined production
capacity of the two plants is 12,000 liters per day. The State
Ministry for Research and Technology has also trained 21 technical
school, college and university students to operate the plants.

Jakarta Activates Flood Early Warning System
--------------------------------------------
2. Jakarta's Emergency and Alertness Office announced that it has
activated a flood early warning system. The system includes five
CCTVs monitored by Jakarta Crisis Center, 160 CCTVs monitored by the
Traffic Management Center of the Metro Jaya Police Office,
communication systems using radio and telephone lines, regular
removal of waste from sewers and rivers, and a task force ready to
establish emergency centers for refugees.

Jakarta Needs $20 Million to Reduce Flooding
--------------------------------------------
3. Prijanto, Vice Governor of Jakarta Province, says that in order
to prevent routine flooding, Rp. 20 trillion ($20 million) of
improvements to upstream-downstream environment and infrastructure
is needed in the 13 rivers that travel through Jakarta and West Java
Provinces. This will require cooperation with West Java Province
and the Central Government. Upstream forest degradation, silt
buildup in rivers and lakes, and a lack of dams and canals cause the
flooding.

Seaweed for Biofuel
-------------------
4. According to the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries,
Indonesian seaweed production can be a significant source of
biofuel. One hectare of seaweed (microalgae) can produce 58,700
liters of biodiesel per year. The Government plans to revitalize
the seaweed industry by targeting 1.9 tons of production in 2009 on
25,000 hectares. In response to the plan, the Governor of South
Sulawesi stated that his province would provide the area for growing
seaweed.

Provinces Target Forest Carbon Trade
------------------------------------
5. Governor Gamawan Fauzi of West Sumatra submitted a carbon trade
plan on October 13 to the provincial House of Representatives
(DPRD). In the plan, the projected income from carbon per hectare
is Rp. 1,404,000 ($127.64). West Sumatra has 692,448 hectares of
protected forests spread across 11 regencies/cities, potentially
generating income of Rp. 972 billion ($88.36 million) per year.

Lampung Province is also preparing to trade carbon credits from its
protected forests (317,615 hectares spread across five regencies).
Forest conservation has been difficult because of illegal logging
and encroachment. Carbon Strategic Global Ltd (CSG) and IBN
(International Bank of Australia) are offering to help with
protection of the carbon-traded area in Lampung and West Sumatra
provinces, including the administration of forest guards and
surveillance, recruiting forest rangers, and training local people.

JAKARTA 00002182 002 OF 003

Wehea Forest Receives International Award
-----------------------------------------
6. Wehea Forest Management in East Kalimantan came third (and
received $1,000) in the Schooner Prize Award competition in
Vancouver, Canada. 760 orangutans live in Wehea forest according to
a Nature Conservancy (TNC) study. Niel Makinuddin, Program Manager
of The Nature Conservancy in East Kalimantan, partner of the
USAID-funded Orangutan Conservation Services Program (OCSP) notes
that good cooperation among indigenous people, local government and
the private sector is vital for forest management.

Development of Artificial Coral Reefs
-------------------------------------
7. The West Kalimantan Marine and Fisheries Office began planting
artificial coral to rehabilitate coral reefs damaged by bombing and
potassium use by. According to Sigit Sugihardi, project consultant,
the project is using technology developed by BPPT (Agency for
Assessment and Application of Technology). The project area covers
40 square meters with a depth of 8-10 meters. The project also
includes educating fishers about alternatives to potassium use and
bombing for fishing activities.

Jakarta Loses 20 Million M3 of Water Each Month
--------------------------------------------- --
8. Jaya Haryadi Priyohutomo, President Director of the regional
water utility company PAM Jaya announced that the company loses 20
million cubic meters of drinking water every month. The loss is due
to leakage, inadequate and old pipes, unstable land conditions, and
illegal connections. According to Haryadi, 62 percent of Jakarta's
7 million are PAM Jaya customers.

KPK Investigates Members of Parliament
--------------------------------------
9. The Commission for Combating Corruption (KPK) investigated 10
members of the House of Representatives for a corruption case
involving the conversion of a mangrove forest to a small port in
South Sumatra. The House members admitted receiving payments for
expediting the conversion permit and several of them have returned
the money to the KPK.

South Sulawesi Hopes to Reduce Forest Destruction
--------------------------------------------- ----
10. The head of South Sulawesi's forestry office said that the
provincial government plans to reduce forest destruction by 30
percent. To accomplish this, the government is allocating 500
rangers and Rp. 300 billion for rehabilitation of damaged forests.

Mangrove Trees Planted on Surabaya Beach
----------------------------------------
11. 500 Indonesian Navy personnel and many local residents planted
mangrove trees at Wonorejo beach, which is home to over 140 species
of birds. Muhlas Udin, a Surabaya city official, appreciated their
participation in mangrove restoration and welcomed the increased
awareness of global environmental issues.

South Sulawesi Launches a "Go Green" Movement
---------------------------------------------
12. Governor Syharul Yasin Limpo of South Sulawesi launched "Go
Green South Sulawesi" and declared Jompie Parepare a forest model.
This 13.3-hectare forest is located in the northern part of Parepare
city and has approximately 137 species of plants and dozens of
traditional plantations. The Governor said preservation of the
forest would help reduce global warming. He promised to provide
10,000 seedlings and urged people to plant trees.

HEALTH
------

Inadequate Quality Control of Medical Equipment
--------------------------------------------- --
13. Indonesia Agency for Supervision of Health Facilities (BPFK)
has only four offices, located in Medan (to service Sumatra),
Jakarta (to service West Kalimantan and West Java), Surabaya (to
service East Java and Central, South, and East Kalimantan) and
Makassar (to service eastern Indonesia). BPFK conducts quality
control of health equipment -- in particular, calibrating medical
instruments. BPFK offices in Surabaya and Tugijono admit struggling
to improve services because of limited skills, staff, equipment, and
an inadequate budget. For example, the Surabaya BPFK office
provides services for 7 provinces and 150 hospitals with only 27

JAKARTA 00002182 003 OF 003

officers. BPFK is trying to improve its capabilities by cooperating
with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and international
standardization agencies.

High Malnutrition Rate in Madura
--------------------------------
14. Malnutrition rates among infants remain high, according to the
East Java Health office. In 2007 the malnutrition rate was 5.1,
4.9, and 4.2 percent in the Pamekasan, Sampang and Bangkalan
regencies, respectively. According to Dr. Susianto, head of the
Sumenep health office, there have been around 490 cases of
malnutrition there in the last three years.

Infant Malnutrition in East Java
--------------------------------
15. M. Moeljono, head of the East Java health office, said that
16.5 percent of the approximately 3.1 million babies in East Java
(or 511,500) are malnourished due to improper care and diseases. In
an effort to reduce child malnutrition, the U.N World Food Program
is providing healthy food and medical assistance.

Industrial Waste Contaminates Paddy Fields
------------------------------------------
16. The harvest has failed on at least 18 hectares of rice fields
in four villages in East Java because of contaminated irrigation
water. Kateman, a local farmer, said that due to the poor quality
of irrigation water, his field only produced 3 tons of rice but has
the potential of 7-8 tons. A representative of Posko Ijo, an
environmental NGO, reported that there are 10 industries around
these paddy fields without liquid waste processing infrastructure.

North Jakarta Vulnerable to TB
------------------------------
17. According to the North Jakarta Community Health Office and the
Infectious Diseases Unit, 3,321 citizens of North Jakarta have
tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) in the first nine months of
2008. Though the figure is lower than in 2007 (4,079), it is still
considered high. A carrier can infect 10-15 persons that live around
him/her. Of the 3,321 new TB cases, 832 are BTA plus (bacterial
tuberculosis active plus) triggered by bad environment, infection,
and smoking. Health care officials hope that more than 85 percent
of patients recover after a six-month routine treatment.

HUME

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