VZCZCXRO5387
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1586/01 2340558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210558Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9853
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2927
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5316
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2389
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4831
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3416
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHINGTON DC 0063
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 001586 
 
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: JULY 2008 
 
IN THIS ISSUE 
------------- 
 
-- Forest Conservation Programs Need Large-Scale Funding 
-- Jakarta Administration Urged to Stop Reclamation Project 
-- Surabaya Hosts Interfaith Youth Camp on Climate Change 
-- Arsenic Pollution Uncovered in Sumatra 
-- Ministry of Forestry Plans to Establish REDD Commission 
-- Bekasi Inaugurates Methane Gas Burner Site 
 
 
-- Indonesian Students Win International Prize 
-- U.S. Scientists Participate in Sumatran Geo-hazards Research 
Cruise 
 
-- East Java Requests Funds to Fight Malnutrition 
-- Affordable Health Care Program Launched in East Java 
-- Indonesia Children Vulnerable to Pneumonia Attack 
 
 
ENVIRONMENT 
----------- 
 
Forest Conservation Programs Need Large-Scale Funding 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶1. The Director of Forest and Water Resources Conservation of the 
State Ministry for National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Basah 
Hernowo, announced on July 23 that Indonesia's forest and water 
conservation programs will cost Rp. 6.5 trillion (USD 726.3 
million).  Indonesia hopes that most of the funding will come from 
grants.  There are a total of 55 energy, infrastructure, 
agriculture, forestry, riverbank, and weather-climate projects 
included in the program. 
 
Environmentalists Urge Halt of Reclamation Project 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶2. Environmental activists called on the Jakarta City Administration 
to cancel its reclamation project on the North Jakarta Coast. 
Jakarta's Development Assistant, Sarwo Handayani, stated on July 20 
that the city would start reclamation and revitalization of Jakarta 
coastal areas in 2009.  The reclamation project covers 2,700 
hectares including 32 kilometers of coastline.  According to 
Environmentalist Firdaus Cahyadi, the project will destroy a 
significant portion of the mangrove forest in the city, severely 
affecting the area's marine eco-system and increasing the chance of 
large-scale flooding in the old Jakarta region.  New business 
development will also encourage additional people to relocate to 
Jakarta, further stressing environment resources.  The Jakarta 
Regional Environmental Management Agency-BPLHD is preparing an 
environmental assessment for the project. 
 
Interfaith Youth Camp on Climate Change in Surabaya 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶3. Youth delegations from ten Asia Pacific countries participated in 
the Asia Pacific Inter Faith Youth Camp on Climate Change 2008 in 
Surabaya on July 27 - 31.  The Indonesian Foreign Affairs 
Department, the Surabaya City Government, and Tunas Hijau, an 
environmental NGO, organized the camp.  The gathering included 150 
participants from environmental groups and interfaith forums.   The 
youth camp provided a forum to discuss religious and environmental 
issues.  Participants made recommendations for Asian countries to 
increase environmental education, establish an environmental 
network, and commit to responsible environmental leadership. 
 
Arsenic Pollution Uncovered on 
East Coast of Sumatra 
--------------------- 
¶4. In July, a Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and 
Technology survey uncovered arsenic contamination in ground water on 
the east coast of Sumatra.  The contaminated area covers 100,000 
square kilometers.  Experts believe the arsenic is naturally 
occurring rather than derived from pollution.  According to the 
study, the arsenic content in Sumatran ground waste exceeds the 
World Health Organization's ambient level (0.01 milligram per liter 
of drinking water).  Deputy Minister for Natural Resources 
Conservation and Environmental Degradation Control Masnellyarti 
Hilman has asked local governments to test the condition of ground 
water in the area in response to the report.  Experts link arsenic 
in ground water to respiratory problems, skin disease and cancer. 
 
 
MOF Plans to Establish REDD Commission 
 
JAKARTA 00001586  002 OF 003 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
¶5. On July 18, the Secretary of Research and Development of the 
Ministry of Forestry (MOF) Nur Masripatin announced plans to 
establish the Reduce Emission from Deforestation and Degradation 
(REDD) Commission.  The Secretary General of the MOF will chair the 
Commission.  The Senior Adviser to the Minister of Forestry for 
Forest Partnership will serve as the Commission's Vice Chairman. 
Other members of the Commission will include directors general and 
deputy directors general from various government ministries.  The 
Commission will evaluate and issue certificates for carbon emission 
reduction. 
 
Bekasi Inaugurates Gas Methane Burner Site 
------------------------------------------ 
¶6. On July 1, State Minister of Environment Rachmat Witoelar 
inaugurated a new methane gas burner site near the Sumur Batu 
dumping area, Bantar Gebang Sub-District, West Java.  The burner 
will reduce the amount of methane gas emitted during the burning of 
organic waste.  There is only one other methane gas burner in 
Indonesia.  PT Gikoko, a Japanese firm, won the tender for the 
project.  The World Bank has provided a US$1.2 million loan to fund 
the construction of the burner. 
 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: 
 
Indonesian Students Win International Prize 
------------------------------------------- 
¶7.  On July 8, a team of students from Bandung Institute of 
Technology (BIT) won the Rural Innovation Achievement Award at the 
International Imagine Cup competition at the Louvre Museum in Paris. 
 The team, which consisted of three students from the Electronics 
and IT Department and one from Art and Design Department of BIT, 
defeated teams from Columbia, Egypt, India and South Africa. 
Roughly 200,000 students from 100 countries took part in the 
competition.  The team developed a "butterfly system" which can 
immediately report on environmental problems through voice, SMS, 
MMS, mobile applications and websites.  The team received US$ 10,000 
and the opportunity to cooperate with researchers and scientists at 
the Microsoft Research Center in Bangalore, India. 
 
U.S. Scientists Conducted Geo-hazards Research 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶8. During July, U.S. scientists from the Jackson School for 
Geophysics of the University of Texas at Austin conducted a seismic 
reflection survey of the Sumatran Coast in collaboration with the 
Indonesian Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) 
and the UK National Oceanographic Center.  The objective of the 
research cruise was to gain deeper understanding of the geology and 
tsunami generation potential of the area.  Researchers from 
Indonesia, the U.S. and the U.K will share the data generated from 
the cruise and conduct joint research over the next few years. 
 
HEALTH: 
 
East Java Requests Funds to Fight Malnutrition 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶9. In a letter dated July 11, the East Java Health Department asked 
for a budget increase of Rp. 15.6 billion (US$ 1.7 million) from 
East Java's Parliament to provide support for the 5,461 malnourished 
children in the province.  The East Java Parliament has stated that 
it needs to analyze the proposed corrective program before they can 
approve the budget. 
 
Affordable Health Care Program Launched in East Java 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶10. The East Java BAZ (an institution that collects Muslim charity 
donations) launched a new program to provide affordable medical 
services to 10,000 poor people in East Java on July 7.  Participants 
in the program received a 50% discount on medical services provided 
by selected clinics throughout East Java.  Participants must 
register with the East Java BAZ in order to qualify for the 
discount.  Donations from wealthy individuals provide the primary 
source of funding for the program. 
 
Indonesian Children are Vulnerable to Pneumonia 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶11. At the launching of the Asia Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcus 
on June 30, Prof. Dr. Sri Rezeki S. Hadinegoro of Gajah Mada 
University noted that pneumonia is the main cause of mortality in 
Indonesian children under-five years of age.  ASAP memeber Prof. 
Cissy B. Kartasasmita also noted that the Government of Indonesia 
has not yet included PCV7 (Pneumococcal Conjuugate Vaccine 7 Valent) 
 
JAKARTA 00001586  003 OF 003 
 
 
in the national health program. 
 
HUME