(MY) dire effects on environs

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Letters - New Straits Times

Dire effects on the environs

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS, Sahabat Alam Malaysia

 

Feb 20:

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CONGRATULATIONS to the New Sunday Times (Feb 12) and the New Straits

Times ( " Clearing of area will destabilise ecology " , NST Feb 17) for

highlighting the potentially devastating impact of Indonesian plans to

clear about two million hectares of rainforests along the

Malaysian-Indonesian border for an oil palm plantation project.

 

We have alerted the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister as well as

the Chief Ministers of Sarawak and Sabah, and the Department of

Environment about the massive implications of this project.

 

Most of this mountainous region, which is part of the " Heart of

Borneo " , still has huge tracts of forest supporting endangered

species.

 

Fourteen of Borneo's 20 major rivers originate there.

 

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia, new

species have been discovered at a rate of three per month over the

last decade, making it the richest biodiversity area in the world.

 

Even though the project is on Indonesian soil, it is taking place in a

highly sensitive ecosystem. Both Sarawak and Sabah will feel the

impact of such a large-scale venture.

 

The project will, of course, involve large-scale deforestation to make

way for oil palm cultivation.

 

Most of the Heart of Borneo border area is 1,000 to 2,000 metres above

sea level and is unsuitable for oil palm cultivation, even if the

environmental impact is disregarded.

 

According to a 2004 study by the Centre for International Forestry

Research based in Jakarta, the area is of poor soil where " …all our

evidence shows that it will not be economically viable " .

 

For this reason alone, the project should not proceed.

 

Also a cause for concern is the possible impact on water supply in the

lowlands due to clearing in the Malindo Border area.

 

This includes quality of water supply, the risk of flooding in the

lowlands and the sedimentation of the rivers flowing into Sarawak and

Sabah.

 

WWF has also highlighted that forest clearing in these highlands would

affect five watersheds on the Kalimantan side and another five in

Sabah and Sarawak.

 

A large part of the border area remains forested and to a large extent

still virgin. It is surely the last frontier of Borneo.

 

It harbours well over 200 bird species, approximately 150 reptile and

amphibian species and almost 100 different mammal species, including

numerous endangered and rare species such as orang utans, elephants

and rhinos, as well as the clouded leopard, sun bear and the endemic

Bornean gibbons.

 

With such diversity, we must do all we can to protect this area with

the co-operation of Indonesia.

 

We understand that the management of the border area up to 10km on the

Indonesian side is under the jurisdiction of Indonesia's military.

 

With large-scale opening up of the border, there are security

implications to consider as well.

 

We have urged the Government to take this matter up with the

Indonesian authorities and ask them not to embark on this project

because of the dire consequences to the environment.

 

Given that this project is in Indonesian territory, Indonesian laws

will naturally prevail.

 

However, as the project has grave implications for Malaysia, our

Government should insist that a comprehensive environmental and social

impact assessment is done before any approval of the project is given.