More natural disasters in 2015, predicts Indonesia’s disaster agency

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Indonesia’s national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, predicted that floods, landslides, drought, forest fires, and tornado, would most likely to happen again in 2015, said an official, on Tuesday (30/12). Based on BNPB record on 2014, 99 percent of disasters happened in Indonesia were related to weather changes or hydro-meteorological disasters. Dodi […]

Forest official in Lampung moving people out from its national park, peacefully

Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – As increasing population living surrounding protected forest areas, officials started to launch awareness campaigns for local people to move out from the forest, said an official, in Bandarlampung, Lampung province, recently. Based on Lampung Statistic Agency, the province’s population living near forest areas had risen significantly for the past ten years, from […]

Bad weather destroyed fishermen boats in Manado

Manado, Ekuatorial – More than dozens of fishing boats heavily destroyed by rain and storm for the past two days, said a fisherman on Tuesday (30/12), in Manado, North Sulawesi. “There is a total of 30 fishing boats [being destroyed by rains and storms] but only seven were complete wreckage. We couldn’t do nothing as […]

Green activists call for government to stop criminalizing environment defenders

Bandarlampung, Ekuatorial – Green activists on Tuesday (29/12) called for the government to be serious to solve conflicts related to natural resources, including to stop criminalizing environment defenders. Bejoe Dewangga, director of Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) chapter Lampung, said that conflicts related to natural resources were linked to forest management gap in giving […]

Scientists : Climate change threaten Indonesia’s food security

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Scientists on Monday (29/12) dubbed climate change as big threat for Indonesia’s food security as there were decreasing pollinators leading to declining plants productivity. “With three to nine percent natural pollinators decreasing can contribute to drastic decline of crops and plantation productivity. Even a research in US stated that pollination by bees […]

Eight provinces still experiencing power crisis

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Despite of abundant energy potentials, as much as 10,000 villages of eight provinces in Indonesia were still experiencing power crisis, said an activist recently. The eight provinces are Riau islands, Central Kalimantan, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua. The latter is the lowest with 36.41 […]

Four villages in East Aceh isolated due to flood

East Aceh, Ekuatorial – Four villages of East Aceh district were isolated due to floods caused by heavy rains for the past week, said a local villager recently. The four villages, — Tampo Bor village, Tampor Paloh village, Melidi village and Ranto Naru village –, are located at Simpang Jerning sub district of East Aceh, […]

Indonesia turns to marine to combat climate change

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – As Indonesia step up its maritime resources, senior official for climate change negotiation said on Tuesday (23/12) that they will develop marine as renewable energy potential. “We have forgotten that 70 percent of Indonesia’s areas is ocean. Indonesia is a nation with a huge potential for renewable energy from marine sector. We […]

Floods hit 13 villages in Aceh Tamiang

Langsa, Ekuatorial – At least thirteen villages in Aceh Tamiang district were inundated by floods as heavy rains pouring down since last week. They were Suka Jadi and Terban of Karang Baru sub-district, Kampung Durian and Alur Manis of Ranto sub-district, Kampung Kota and Kota Lintang Bawah of Kota Kuala Simpang sub-district, Meneng Gini of […]

AMAN submitted maps of customary lands to REDD+ agency

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago or AMAN submitted 517 maps of customary lands to ministry of environment and forestry hoping to speed up legalization of customary rights, said secretary general of AMAN, Abdon Nababan, on Monday (22/12), in Jakarta. “These maps are very important for indigenous people to be recognized. Land […]