Damage to Our Environment

Damage to the environmental sector every day is getting worse, should we as human beings should be able to preserve and guard it. If environmental damage has already begun, then it is like inviting a natural disaster.

But very sad if there are cases of environmental damage that is not handled properly, although deliberately ignored. So the perpetrators damage the environment, can more freely perform its activities.

As happened in the province of Aceh - Indonesia, there are some cases of environmental damage that until now have not been handled at all.

Director of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) Aceh Muhammad Nur said that now there are some cases of environmental damage, should the Government of Aceh prioritize to overcome them.

Each case of environmental degradation is the practice of converting peat swamps into oil palm plantations managed by PT Asdal in South Aceh district, which can cause natural disasters such as floods and droughts.

Damage due to oil palm planting activities, then the condition will never be normal as before, because it absorbs water up to 12 liters and of course the area can cause water crisis to drought.

Similarly, the construction of 44 roads in various forests in Aceh and causing many protected forests is damaged, and to degenerate or known as deforestation.

Road construction is conducted in 8 districts in Aceh, namely in East Aceh, Tamiang, North Aceh, Pidie, Gayo Lues, Subusalam, Aceh Tenggara and Aceh Besar. Not only are the forests damaged, the various specials that inhabit the forest are disturbed, such as elephants and tigers.

A very crucial case is the activity of PT. Rencong Pulp and Paper Industry (RPPI) in Aceh Utara, which has bagged a Timber Forest Product Utilization Permit - Industrial Plantation Forest (IUPHHK-HTI).

With the permit, it causes the conversion of forest functions. Coming from a protected forest, it became a plantation. Then it must have led to the destruction of large-scale forests.

PT. RPPI holds IUPHHK-HTI license number 522.51 / 569/2011 dated August 8, 2011 and the amendment to the Decision of the Governor of Aceh number 522.51 / 441/2012, is valid for 60 years with 10,384 ha of permit area.

Public recognition of the permit area of PT. RPPI overlaps with the land of citizens, residents also believe the presence of PT. RPPI leads to loss of livelihoods from forest products. In addition, PT. RPPI is a threat to Krueng Mane river basin and Pasee watershed as a source of water for agricultural land.

In addition to this case, there are still many cases of unfinished environmental damage, such as C quarry mining, illegal gold mines, palm oil mill S) and various other sectors.

Photo source: Document WALHI Aceh

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@agamsaia