The deforestation rates in Indonesia are the highest amongst the
world's major forest nations, (1) and according to recent estimates
Indonesia is the country with the third largest greenhouse gas
emissions after China and the United States, mainly due to the
destruction of peatland forests. (2) Deforestation accounts for
approximately one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. (3)
In collaboration with local communities in Riau, Greenpeace will
bear witness and document the rampant destruction of the peatland
forests in Riau. (4) Volunteers at the FDC will also engage in
spotting and fighting forest fires, conduct peatland depth surveys
and undertake a comprehensive assessment of biodiversity in the
area.
Mr Ali Mursyid the community leader of Kuala Cenaku (village
close to the FDC) made this statement at the opening of the camp.
"Our people consider the forests a sacred inheritance from our
ancestors and we have an obligation to protect it because it is our
source of life. We are now trying to save our remaining forests at
any cost and are committed to rehabilitating whatever others have
destroyed."
The main camp structure, the Balai Adat, is a traditional
Sumatran community meeting house located on community land. The
area surrounding the camp has recently been cleared of forest and
peatlands have been destroyed to make way for oil palm
plantations.
The work and documentation undertaken over coming months will
highlight the urgency of ending deforestation, preventing
biodiversity loss and combating climate change in the run up to
Indonesia hosting the next round of Kyoto Protocol negotiations in
Bali in December.
"As we launch this initiative, the forests in Indonesia are
being destroyed. This has to end. The Indonesian government must
act and, before December's Kyoto Protocol meeting in Bali, commit
to a moratorium on conversion and destruction of Indonesian
peatland forests and ensure the implementation of an effective
action plan against forest fires," said Hapsoro, Forest Campaigner
of Greenpeace Southeast Asia who is currently at the forest
camp.
Greenpeace is calling on the Indonesian government to commit to
a moratorium on deforestation and industrial logging; a review of
laws, governance and law enforcement; and the implementation of a
responsible and just land-use planning system.
"We need international action to end deforestation. Agreement on
this must be included in the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol.
Protecting the world's remaining forests will significantly reduce
climate change, maintain the livelihood of millions of people who
depend on forests and protect a huge amount of the world's
biodiversity," said Sue Connor, Greenpeace International forests
campaigner.
Taking action to reduce deforestation must be part of the 'Bali
Mandate', which would establish the ambition, content, process and
timetable for negotiating the next phase of international action
against climate change due to be concluded by 2009.
Stabilising the world's climate depends on countries making deep
cuts in their energy-related emissions and completely halting
deforestation.
ENDS
Other contacts: Hapsoro, Greenpeace South East Asia forests campaigner is currently at the Forest Defenders Camp. Please call Greenpeace South East Asia media officer Chris Nusatya on +62 812 107 050 to arrange interviews.Sue Connor, Greenpeace International forests campaigner +62 8131 765 3644 (in Jakarta) Martin Baker, Greenpeace International communications officer +852 9014 5259 (in Jakarta) *Video available of recent deforestation and forest fires in Indonesia and FDC footage from Riau, Sumatra: Footage preview at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/video-previewsFor broadcast quality MPEG2 versions of these clips, please contact 
+31 6 5350 4721 in Amsterdam (GMT +1)For photos of **recent deforestation and forest fires in Indonesia and FDC: Michelle Thomas +61 404 096 556 (in Sydney)
VVPR info:
Notes: Forest defenders camp briefing available at:http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/forest-defenders-camp-briefing(1) FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005(2) Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) Version 4.0. (Washington,DC: World Resources Institute, 2007).(3) IPCC (intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), 2007. Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom andNew York, NY, USA.IPCC report available at:http://www.mnp.nl/ipcc/pages_media/AR4-chapters.html (see technical summary)(4) Data from the Pekanbaru-based environmental group Jikalahari show that between 1982 and 2005 the average rate of deforestation in Riau reached 160,000 hectares annually. The figure increased to 200,000 hectares per year in the 2004-2005 period. According to the data, total forest area in the province dropped significantly to 2.7 million hectares in 2004 from 6.4 million hectares in 1982.
Exp. contact date: 2007-11-08 00:00:00