Central Kalimantan Police declared 110 suspects over forest and land fires

Palangka Raya, Ekuatorial – Central Kalimantan police announced 110 suspects over forest and land fires on Friday (10/10), in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. “More than 100 suspects over land fires have been detained. They are still undergoing legal process, either for crime and civil [charges],” said Central Kalimantan Police Chief Bambang Hermanu adding that 106 […]

Walhi filed a judicial review on Aceh’s spatial planning law

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Indonesian Forum for the Environment or Walhi filed a judicial review on Aceh’s spatial planning law to the Supreme Court, on Thursday (9/10), in Jakarta. “We have filed [the judicial review] to the Supreme Court at 11am. It is an effort to save Aceh’s environment from massive extractive development and destructive investment,” […]

Indonesia’s development goes green in five years time, says official

Jakarta, Ekuatorial — Despite of recent development, senior official said that Indonesia would be able to include environmental awareness within five years time. The statement issued by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of Presidential Working Unit for the Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4), at a discussion on infrastructure in Jakarta, Tuesday (7/10). Mangkusubroto said that infrastructure […]

Thirty springs dried up, villagers in Mount Lawu face water crisis

Karanganyar, Ekuatorial – Due to long dry season, water discharge in thirty springs in Mount Lawu, Central Java, have been decreasing, said an official on Monday (6/10), in Karanganyar district, Central Java. “This is the first time for water discharges in 30 springs in Mount Lawu are decreasing. [I find it] very ridiculous for water […]

Only seven districts have acknowledged customary forest

Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Despite supported by Constitutional Court, there were only seven districts have acknowledged customary forests through their regional regulation, said activists in Jakarta, on Thursday (2/10). The 2012 Constitutional Court, popularly known as MK35, had granted judicial review by activists to scratch the word ‘state’ in the customary forest definition. Activists argued that […]

Officials shut down illegal mining in Mount Lawu

Karanganyar, Ekuatorial – Amid strong rejections from local villagers, officials on Tuesday (2/10) finally shutting down illegal mining in Karanganyar district, Central Java. On Sunday, local villagers have complained on mining activities in the slopes of Mount Lawu, especially to extract sands. They feared that the activities might trigger landslides and flash floods which will […]

Massive encroachment pushing orangutan Kalimantan to the ocean

Pangkalanbun, Ekuatorial – Thousands of orangutans in Tanjung Putting National Park of Central Kalimantan were being pushed to the oceans as their habitat constantly encroached and deforested by oil palm plantations and mining industries, said an activist on last Thursday (25/9). “[We are facing] boundaries issues as the National Park covered 415,040 hectares of which […]

Ministry of Forestry under fire for lack of transparency

Jakarta , Ekuatorial – Green activists on Tuesday (30/9) criticized Ministry of Forestry for its lack transparency on information for public. Based on Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) data, Ministry of Forestry only received 17 requests for information in 2013. The number increased to 62 requests between January to August 2014. However, the ministry had only […]

Illegal Mining in Mount Lawu threatened local villagers

Karanganyar, Ekuatorial – Despite of protests from local villagers, illegal mining in Karanganyar district, Central Java were getting worse threatening not only their lives but also their homes, said a villager on Sunday (29/9). Located in the slopes of Mount Lawu, illegal miners have been plainly dispatching heavy machineries to extract sands. These miners, comprise […]