Indonesia's Slash and Burn Pollutes Southeast Asia
Posted on : Wed, 25 Oct 2006 11:32:00 GMT | Author : Heather
Augustyn
News Category : Environment
SINGAPORE: Although monsoon season approaches at the end of
November, Southeast Asia will still face the effects of illegal deforestation
techniques from companies and land owners in Indonesia. The slash and burn
methods that once made deforestation of the rainforests in South America
notorious are used by farmers in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
But residents in Indonesia, and the neighboring countries of
Malaysia and Singapore, feel the impact of the fires through a daily deluge of
haze that has covered the region for over a month.
The pollution index is the highest since 1997 when the region
experienced another bout of haze from land-clearing fires. Once again, the same
culprits are to blame; namely companies and land owners seeking to plant
lucrative oil palms in the cheapest possible way. Some forests are burning, but
other fires burn on dried peat lands, a highly combustible bed of organic
material sometimes 20 meters thick. Peat can burn for long periods of time due
to the amount of fuel.
Even Malaysia's Environment Minister Azmi Khalid acknowledges the
destruction, but says that not much can be done.
Open burning for land-clearing is the cause of the haze. In
Kalimantan alone, there are now one million hectares of palm oil plantations.
But the cost of bringing the haze under control is very high. This is because
the effective way of dealing with the problem is to use special aircraft to
douse the flames said Khalid.
Stopping the burn may be hard, but stopping the burners is even
harder. Satellite images have located the hot spots and officials know
plantation conglomerates are to blame, but pinpointing the firestarters proves
difficult.
Indonesia is currently investigating 16 companies and land owners
for their role in the fires, but no follow through or prosecution has yet to
occur as the haze continues to block out the sun day after day.
Small-town businesses run by shopkeepers who have been in business
for decades close their doors in Indonesia due to ill health from the air
pollution. Cosmopolitan Singapore fears highly mobile foreign talent will seek
other shores of commerce. Environmental economist Euston Quah from Singapore's
Nanang Technological University estimates the loss in Singapore at US $50
million so far with no end in sight.
The region is experiencing a more severe dry season with little
rain. Foong Chee Leong, director general of the National Environment Agency's
Meteorological Services Division said lack of rain, combined with a highly
unpredictable wind pattern for the upcoming monsoon season, means the haze will
persist.
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