Land use changes destroy Lampung’s natural resources

Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Land use changes to plantation, mining, and ecosystem payment services have led to the collapsed of Lampung’s natural resources, activists said, on Monday (11/5). Novriansyah, manager of Kawan Tani Lampung Project, said that plantation sector had reached 443,118,987 hectares, gold mining had reached 40,000 hectares and ecosystem services such as geothermal had […]

465 people evacuated as Karangetang Mountain erupted

Sitaro, Ekuatorial – Hundreds evacuated after Karangetang Mountain erupted since Thursday (7/5), said an official, in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on Friday (8/5). Charlton Bob Wuaten, head of Sitaro Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that there were at least 465 refugees evacuated to three locations. “Besides of villagers date, we also recorded four houses affected by […]

Oil palm expansion has taken its toll in Sorong district

Sorong, Ekuatorial – Due to massive oil palm plantation expansion, water scarcity hit Malalilis village of Klaili, Sorong district, said an activist, in Sorong, on Tuesday (5/5). “People are getting hard to find clean water as their village is located inside oil palm plantation. Forest cleared for oil palm. There’s no water in the village. […]

East Aceh elephants get a new conservation location

Aceh Timur, Ekuatorial – To anticipate increasing conflict between humans and elephants, East Aceh government established an elephant respond unit located in Bunin village, Serbajadi subdistrict, East Aceh, said an official, in East Aceh, on Monday (4/5). “Conflicts between elephants and humans in East Aceh have been going for too long and there’s still no […]

Police named a suspect on recent pangolin bust in Medan

Medan, Ekuatorial – Police had arrested a suspect related to recent pangolin smuggling, said a senior investigator, in Medan, North Sumatra, last April. Last April, Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (Bareskrim) confiscated at least five tons of slaughtered pangolins (Manis javanica) in Medan, North Sumatra. The bust also managed to save 96 pangolins which […]

Bureaucracy and high price hinder certified legal timber for Yogya wood business

Yogyakarta, Ekuatorial – Despite of rising demands from Europe for certified legal timber, Yogya’s small and middle businesses have yet to obtain certification due to difficult bureaucracy and lack of human resources. Deddy Effendy, owner of Palem Craff Jogja and chair of Legal Wood Group, said exporters were having difficulties to penetrate Europe’s market without […]

Illegal Community Plantation Forest contributes to massive forest destruction in Aceh

Aceh Tamiang, Ekuatorial – Aceh officials found ‘illegal’ community plantation forests in Aceh Tamiang district contributing to massive forest destruction. In a recent patrol, Aceh forest management unit officials discovered hundreds of hectares of Production Forest, in Leuser ecosystem area, has been turned into oil palm and rubber plantations by people claimed to be local […]

Forest moratorium extends to 2017, Minister says

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – After mounting demands from green activists, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya said on Monday (27/4) announced that forest moratorium will be extended until 2017. Forest moratorium which bans issuing new permits on natural forests and peatlands, was announced back in 2011, under presidential instruction. It was extended for another […]

Sitaro district of North Sulawesi to have waste management regulation

Sitaro, Ekuatorial – Green activists demand local regulation on waste management following increasing garbage in markets, in Sitaro [Siau, Tagulandang and Biaro] district of North Sulawesi, on Thursday (22/4). Sony Lukas, a green activist, cited Ampera Ulu Siau market as an example for the absent of local regulation on waste management. “It [the waste] is […]

President Jokowi to release endangered Javan gibbon in Bandung

Jakarta, Ekuatorial — President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo will be releasing two pairs of Javan gibbons (Hylobates moloch) in conjunction with 2015 Asia Africa Conference in Bandung, East Java, said an official in Jakarta, on Tuesday (21/5). The two pairs, Robin (male) – Moni (female) and Moli (male) – Nancy (female), are finally released to their […]