VZCZCXRO5895
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #0360/01 0560134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250134Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8073
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2038
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4739
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1551
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4417
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3365
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000360 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, OES/ETC, OES/STC, OES/SAT, OES/PCI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TPHY TBIO TRGY ENRG ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA ESTH HIGHLIGHTS: JANUARY 2008 
 
 
IN THIS ISSUE 
------------- 
 
-- Mining Pollutes South Kalimantan Coastal Areas 
-- Indonesia Faces Significant Water Pollution, 
   Sanitation Challenges 
-- Environmental Film Festival Held in Jakarta 
-- Jakarta Province to Expand Open Green Areas 
-- Cement Companies Accused of Illegally Processing 
   Hazardous Wastes 
-- BPPT Adds to its Palm Oil Biodiesel Plants 
-- Owa Jawa Monkeys Prepared for Release 
-- GOI Bans Import of Ozone-Depleting Chemicals 
-- LAPAN Evaluates Satellite 
-- Surabaya Provides Multimedia Training to the Poor 
-- Tangerang Blood Supply Dwindling 
-- Cigarette Ads Under Increased Scrutiny 
 
ENVIRONMENT 
------------ 
 
 
MINING POLLUTES SOUTH KALIMANTAN COASTAL AREAS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶1.  The South Kalimantan Regional Environmental Impact Agency 
(BAPEDALDA) examined coastal and mangrove forests in South 
Kalimantan and found that iron ore mining activities have polluted 
around 70 percent of the coastal area, the agency head announced on 
January 14.  The mining activities have caused the waters in the 
area to turn red and have a high metal content.  Besides iron ore 
mining, coal mining, mangrove encroachment, and aquaculture pond 
activities contributed to water pollution in the area.  The Chairman 
of Saijaan (Kotabaru Regency) Fishery Association added that fishery 
resources in the area are decreasing, affecting local fishermen's 
incomes. 
 
INDONESIA FACES SIGNIFICANT WATER POLLUTION, SANITATION CHALLENGES 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2.  In a January 22 discussion on "Facing International Sanitation 
Year 2008" in Jakarta, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reported 
that Indonesia ranked second in severity of water pollution issues, 
after China.  Lack of sanitation has contributed to the issue, the 
report said, estimating that water pollution levels have resulted in 
a loss of 45 trillion rupiah ($4.6 billion) or 2.2 percent of 
Indonesia's Gross National Product (GNP). In 2007, the National 
Development Planning Board (BAPPENAS) estimated that 19.67 percent 
of Indonesians do not have access to sanitation services, and that 
only 40.67 percent of them have access to a septic tank.  The rest 
use rivers, ponds, and open fields for their wastes. In fiscal year 
2008, the Ministry of Public Works has allocated 2.3 trillion rupiah 
($249,739,116) for drinking water and sanitation from its total 
budget (36.1 trillion rupiah or $3.91 billion). 
 
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL HELD IN JAKARTA 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  On January 22, the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) organized a 
second South-to-South (StoS) Film Festival in Jakarta.  JATAM 
Coordinator Siti Maimunah explained that they conducted this event 
to convey messages of environmental impacts caused by natural 
resources exploitation.  Organizers held the event on January 25-27, 
2008 at the Goethe Institute in Jakarta and chose "Vote for Life" as 
the event's theme.  There were 16 films from various countries, 
which highlighted issues on forestry, mining, sea pollution, and 
global warming. 
 
JAKARTA PROVINCE TO EXPAND OPEN GREEN AREAS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  In a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in West Flood Canal, Cideng 
Sub-district, the Head of the Jakarta Parks Service Office announced 
that the provincial administration plans to expand open green areas 
to 4-5 hectares in 2008.  The Jakarta Parks Service Office has 
submitted a 40 billion rupiah ($4.3 million) proposal to the 
regional budgeting committee to implement the plan.  Governor of 
Jakarta Fauzi Wibowo supported the event sponsor PT Honda's 
environmental program and asked that more private companies 
participate actively in "greening" Jakarta. 
 
CEMENT COMPANIES ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY PROCESSING HAZARDOUS WASTES 
 
JAKARTA 00000360  002 OF 003 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5.  On January 14, the Head of Research and Development for the 
Indonesian Law on Hazardous Material and Waste Research (Ihwar) 
Foundation announced that the group suspected two cement companies 
(PT Holcim Indonesia and PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa) of 
constructing and operating illegal hazardous waste processing units. 
 The Corporate Communications Manager of PT. Holcim, Jefry Sani, 
countered that the company did not violate government regulations 
and emphasized that it had received awards under the Dow Jones 
Sustainability Index in 2004, 2005 and 2006.  PT Holcim also uses 
fuel resources from rice husks, palm oil and wood wastes for energy 
sources.  Sani added that the company would open its waste 
processing units for public inspection. 
 
BPPT ADDS TO ITS PALM OIL BIODIESEL PLANTS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  On January 23, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of 
Technology (BPPT) announced that it would build new biodiesel plants 
with 3 ton-per-day capacity at the Research Center of Science and 
Technology (Puspiptek) in Serpong, West Java.   The Director of 
Technology for Energy Resources Development, Unggul Priyanto, stated 
that global high prices of Crude Palm Oil ($1,000 per ton) and no 
governmental subsidies are the main challenges of biofuel 
development. 
 
OWA JAWA MONKEYS PREPARED FOR RELEASE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  The Cikananga Animal Rescue Center in Sukabumi turned over six 
Owa Jawa monkeys (Hylobates moloch) to the Owa Jawa Rescue and 
Rehabilitation Center in Bogor on January 29 for rehabilitation 
before their release.  The Owa Jawa monkey is native to certain 
areas of West Java.  The species population has fallen due to 
illegal poaching and dwindling habitat. 
 
GOI BANS IMPORT OF OZONE-DEPLETING CHEMICALS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  The GOI banned imports of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and methyl 
bromide (CH3Br) for non-quarantine and pre-shipment use starting in 
January, earlier than the Montreal Protocol's 2010 deadline.  The 
Ministry of Environment explained that they were able to accelerate 
the phase-out schedule since many of Indonesia's industrial players 
have already shifted to ozone-friendly substances.  The GOI had 
previously banned imports of halon, methyl chloroform and carbon 
tetrachloride except for laboratory use in 1998. 
 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
----------------------- 
 
LAPAN EVALUATES SATELLITE 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9.  The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN) held a seminar 
in Bogor on January 31 to evaluate the performance of the 
Indonesian/Indian LAPAN-TUBSAT satellite, which the agency launched 
in January 2007.  The GOI hopes to use the satellite to monitor 
natural resources and the environment, and to help with disaster 
mitigation.  LAPAN is preparing for the construction of the 
satellite's next generation model. 
 
SURABAYA PROVIDES MULTIMEDIA TRAINING TO THE POOR 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶10.  The Surabaya municipality is providing multimedia training to 
the urban poor in an effort to alleviate poverty.  The Information 
and Technical Computer Management Institute (STIKOM) in Surabaya 
organized the training program.  Surabaya Vice Mayor Arif Affandi 
predicted that Surabaya would become a multimedia hub in the near 
future with its increasing free internet facilities in the city. 
 
HEALTH 
------- 
 
TANGERANG BLOOD SUPPLY DWINDLING 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  The Tangerang branch of the Red Cross announced that blood 
supplies in the district are running low due to higher demand.  Red 
Cross officials attributed the increased demand to the rise in the 
 
JAKARTA 00000360  003 OF 003 
 
 
number of cases of dengue fever in the area.  The Red Cross plans to 
hold a series of blood donation events in factories, police 
stations, and military posts across the regency to try to replenish 
their supply. 
 
CIGARETTE ADS UNDER INCREASED SCRUTINY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶12.  The Secretary of the National Commission for Child Protection, 
Arist Merdeka Sirait, said on January 17 that promotional activities 
that saw underage children receive free cigarettes violated 
government regulations on cigarette health safety.  The Commission 
conducted a joint study with the University of Muhammadiyah, which 
found that 90 percent of 353 surveyed junior and senior high school 
students were familiar with cigarette advertising.  Arist added that 
the study found that cigarettes were provided to children without 
checking their ages as they entered public events.  Tobacco 
advertising is prominent at local music concerts and sports 
gatherings. 
 
HUME