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WWF- INDONESIA PROGRAMME: Statement on Forest Fires

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Haze Alert Update (Provided by WWF Malaysia)



Indonesian Fires: WWF Calls For Preventive Actions

Effects of Forest Fire September 25th, 1997

( En Espaņol )

GLAND, Switzerland - WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature today declared the fires raging in Indonesia as a 'planetary disaster' and a great tragedy.

"What is happening in Indonesia is an extreme case of man-made natural disaster," said Dr Claude Martin, Director General of WWF International. "Now we need a coordinated international effort to stop the Indonesian fires and to prevent similar recurrence. Governments must take urgent preventive measures such as better monitoring of plantations and forestry companies' operations."

WWF appreciates President Suharto's gesture of apologizing to neighbouring countries for the smoke pollution, and the Indonesian Government's threats to revoke land use permits of plantation firms found guilty of intentional burning. Plantation owners have been blamed for much of the fires.

Eighty per cent of the fire comes from burning of waste wood to clear land, which is cheaper than other alternatives, for oil palm and industrial pulpwood plantations. Land clearance for commercial plantations has increased dramatically over the past few years in response to high palm oil prices.

Effects Forest Fire So far, an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 hectares of plantations and forests have been burnt creating haze problems in the neighbouring countries. In addition to the human lives already lost, there is unprecedented disruption of road, sea and air traffic.

"The sky in southeast Asia has turned yellow, and people are dying," added Dr Martin. "What we are witnessing is not just an environmental disaster but a tremendous health problem being imposed on millions of people."

With air pollution at such alarming levels, WWF urges action to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions, and pollutants from factories and construction operations, mining and energy generation. Contingency plans are also needed to prevent further deaths and serious illnesses from deteriorating air quality.

Recent satellite images indicate that fires are now spreading from scrublands into forests, although there is no indication that any protected areas in Sumatra nor Kalimantan have been burned. The lowland tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Kalimantan are among the most biologically rich ecosystems on Earth. These forests, unlike those that grow in drier climates are not adapted to fire, and suffer greater damage when burned. The current persistent drought can exarcebate the fires and cause irreparable damage to the forests.

WWF is helping the Indonesian Government in locating and monitoring the fire spots. Staff and equipment have been provided, and the organization is looking into long term solutions to help prevent similar occurrence in the future. These solutions include fire prevention and improved forest management techniques and expertise.

Contact: Katarina Panji in Indonesia at tel: +62-21 7203095, Sabri Zain in Malaysia at tel: +60-3 7033772, or Chng Soh Koon in Switzerland at tel: +41-22 3649326.