Indonesien har fældet mere regnskov end de fleste tropelande – nu betaler nordmændene for at lade nogle af skovene stå og håber på det bedste i det korruptionshærgede ø-rige
Indonesia has banned cutting down peatland (skov på tørvejord) and primary forests for two years Friday in a financial deal with Norway that officials say will protect half of the remaining forests in the tropical archipelago.
Deforestation, the burning of woodlands or the rotting of felled trees, is thought to account for up to 20 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) released into the atmosphere. That has made Indonesia the world’s third largest emitter (udleder) of greenhouse gases behind the US and China.
The decree, signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, commits Indonesia to a two-year moratorium (foreløbigt eller midlertidigt forbud) on new permits to clear 64 million hectares of virgin forest (urørt regnskov) and carbon-rich peatland, putting into effect a funding agreement reached with Norway last year.
The moratorium leaves both environmentalists and industry with some of their demands unmet. But the government said the compromise was an important step in reversing Indonesia’s record of unchecked clearing of tropical forests.
The moratorium, delayed by five months from its planned January start, was signed into law Thursday under a one billion US dollar (ca. 5 milliarder DKR) climate deal with Norway.
The decree will only protect primary forests – which already have legal protection – and peatland, while allowing the conversion of other forests for geothermal projects, sugar and rice plantations and ecosystem ‘restoration’ projects.
In related news, UN Environment Program (UNEP) spokesperson Nick Nuttall said, that the livelihoods of over 1,6 billion people and millions of animals depend on forests, but sadly they are not given the necessary care.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
