South Kalimantan in critical condition
The Jakarta Post
July 27, 2007
JAKARTA: The environment in five regencies in South Kalimantan — Banjar, Tanah Laut, Tabalong, Hulu Sungai Utara and Tapin — is in critical condition due to land clearing and mining projects, an official said.
“Any efforts to rehabilitate the damaged forests would take a minimum of 10 years to succeed as trees need 10 years to grow,” the head of the South Kalimantan office of the Forestry Ministry, Suhardi, said told Antara news wire Saturday.
“It also means the flooding that has frequently hit the five regencies can only be tackled after 10 years,” he added.
Suhardi said that among the five regencies, Banjar was in the most critical need of treatment, particularly in the regency’s two water catchment areas, Riam Kiwa and Riam Kanan.
He said the catchments experienced constant flooding during rains because all the flood-absorbing vegetation — such as trees and tall grass — had been cleared from the area.
“In the absence of trees, the tall grass could actually still perform as a water catchment. But even tall grass has gone because of mining and logging,” Suhardi said.
Source: The Jakarta Post
