Discussion on environmental impact of forest fires.
Indonesia: forest clean-up
by
A couple of us here in Jakarta have been trying to get a totally integrated forest clean-up programme started here involving forestry companies, be they normal logging or plantation, unions and forest communities involved in this clean-up project. The idea is to remove the felling waste (which is a perpetual fire hazard) either by chipping, char-ing, sawing-up any suitable logs in preparation for the next planting. The concept would attenuate current friction between the forest community and the forestry companies and at the same time remove fire hazardous waste putting it to some commercial use.
We have most of the equipment donated but we need funding to kick off the pilot project. We firmly believe that the concept is highly repeatable throughout Indonesia and from our initial number crunching with be commercially viable.
Some time ago we approached AusAid and received only courteous disinterest. We have talked to the World Bank in Jakarta who showed a little more interest.
Has any one out there in the ulu got any good ideas on who to approach for funding????
I would like to hear from you about the possible solutions to and causes of the fuel buildup problems in Indonesia. We have in Northern Minnesota USA 500,000 acres of 100% blown down trees. Multiple millions of trees snapped off anywhere from 5 to 50 feet above ground - some tangled piles reaching 50 feet deep. Bark beetles have infested the forest and by next year there is a threat of an increase of 50% more dead timber.
Removal of fuel build up seeems to be the only solution. Any help you could be in providing information on your experience in challenging this problem would be helpful.
I have some close contact with at least one U.S. Senator. The entire committee of the US Senate dealing with forests will be here in Minnesota on July 7th to investigate this issue.
It's interesting to read about your initiative. I am not totally surprised by the desinterest that you came across. The donor community by and large waits for the fires to return only then to throw more money at the flames.
On the other hand, I am not too sure that removing debris is the solution. There are well tested zero-burning techniques. These are economically viable in Malaysia, but not in Indonesia. So, the companies have more interest in just burning the lot. Quick, cheap and dirty.
Over the last few years I have been doing research into who is funding these fires. It so turns out that many European, US and Asian banks are financing Indonesia's plantation company expansion plans!
Ironically, these banks are often based in Singapore, so in the end, the financial staff there gets what it provides the money for.
In short, you might want to try HSBC in Singapore, or some other well known bank, Citicorp or any other: most of them are funding Sinar Mas, Raja Garuda Mas, Astra etc. etc.
The chances of success (of raising funds) may be limited, but by contacting these banks with the story you might actually help prevent forest fires too, on the somewhat longer run,
A band of fire professionals has got together in Lima, Peru whose chief aim is to enhance capabilities in diaster response.
With the protection of the patrimonial legacy of the ancient Inca civilization's Machu Picchu as their, perhaps symbolic, narrower goal, and saving the rainforests of Iberoamerica as their wider one, these organizers have put together a LIST-SERVE of over 800 persons, mostly Spanish-speaking/writing who pool disaster information from around the globe on a daily basis.
Machu Picchu is visited by about 90% of tourists who visit Peru. As well, a linking visit to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands it taken by many. Revenue from this eco-tourism business continues on the rise as eco-tourism grows globally.
Insurers, ever-mindful of risks and suffering through unprecedented disaster claims histories over the last decade, are taking a closer look at infrastructure requirements like firefighting before writing coverage for new eco-tourism developments.
Here is a link to a paper examining the inner workings, leadership, response capability, reporting mechanisms, mission profiles etc. of the Russian emergencies ministry under (now) Vice President Sergei Shoigu:
The article mentions prospects for working with NATO in disaster response. Here is a NATO press release examining a Memorandum of Understanding formed after the US Foreign Military Studies Office produced the former report:
Scholars have examined the view that environmental catastrophes present a "security risk" for nations suffering through them. Criminal statistics from the aftermath of, for example, the Venezuelan floods, sustains the conclusion that indeed, they are. It is no surprise, then, that increasingly, military forces are called out to deal with severe 'natural' disasters. Military response to catastrophic events enjoys wide public support.
ITAR TASS recently reported Ilyushin-76 aircraft, the same aircraft featured in various posts and URLS here at HAZE, will be fit with American jet engines. Any Il-76 aircraft will accept the VAP tanking system for quick conversion of the aircraft to firefighting duty.
While second series Russian Sokoliev engines are quite adequate for the pupose, the prevailing view is that fitting the Il-76 with US jet engines will provide:
(a) better global serviceability
(b) better fuel consumption
(c) quieter performance
(d) longer engine life.
Further, gazeta.ru recently reported as follows:
"16:56 | Shoigu Wants His Ministry to Become International
The 8th conference of ministers from countries, which have signed the Council of Europes agreement on forecasting, preventing and relief of natural calamities and technological accidents, got under way in Athens. Sergey Shoigu, head of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, (and Russian Vice President) has called for the creation of an international agency of emergency situations. He said Russia has consulted the UN Department on coordination of humanitarian issues and the respective departments of Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Greece. On Monday Russia and Greece are to sign an agreement on cooperation in preventing and dealing with emergency situations. Shoigu is also expected to meet the Greek Minister of the Interior Vassa Papandreou and Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens. //RBC *"
The idea for a single global disaster response agency is not a new one. Indeed, American Fred Cuny pushed for this agency in the early 80s. For more on the state of global disaster relief visit a piece by Slate author, Timothy Noah found at
Some are of the view that a single such agency would not be efficient. There are simply too many well-defined areas of expertise and response for efficient unification. As well, perhaps all disasters will require a more or less heavy component of local involvement and a modicum of training to accept global aid.
Nevertheless, transport will be required in virtually all cases.
My name is Nita Irawati Murjani and I work as a database staff in Leuser
> Development Programme, Indonesia. We are trying to monitor the
> environmental conditions which most possibly affect the Leuser ecosystem
> in Aceh and North Sumatra. The data that we have got so far are the
> hotspots from FFPCP, visibility (and haze) from the airports and PSI
> reading from Singapore. My Co-ordinator, Mrs. Kathryn A. Monk asked me to
> collect and relate such data.
>
> I have tried to relate the PSI reading and hotspots in Aceh and North
> Sumatra but I found no linear relationship between those two. The greatest
> number of hotspots or their existence do not always raise the PSI reading
> to its peak or vice versa. What do you think about this?
>
> Ibu Kathryn also asked me to search for other smog/haze indicators. Do you
> think that the six key pollutants (NOx,CO, Lead, VOC, PM - 10 and SO2) are
> representative so far? How can I get the daily data of each from? Is there
> any relationship pattern among those?
>
> Thank you for your attention and I am waiting for your reply soon.
>
>
> Yours sincerely,
> Nita
>
>
I am doing a project for school, and have three questions for you about haze in Asia. How does poullution, or haze, effect asia's society? Does poullution effect crops grown in Asia? Have there been many forest fires caused by poullution build up in Asia? Please write back soon, Kelseanne
I am doing a project for school on Asian polution, and would like you to give me some infomation on it. I would also like you to please tell me how polution effects Asia itself.
hi i am looking some information about the air pollution in malaysia .i hope you can send some information about the topic and told me where can i find this information .Thank you
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We are the international agents with offices located in St. Louis, Missouri USA ~ Hong Kong ~ China - interested in presenting this device to you for everyone's protection with our Life Saving Device - Safe Escape ASE-30 - Smoke & Fire Safety Mask / Hood
SMOKE DETECTORS DO NOT WORK WITHOUT SMOKE Smoke detectors Only Warn You - Think about it - Your Smoke Detector does not work - unless you have SMOKE - By then it could be TOO LATE!
This device will SAVE your Life and those of Your Loved Ones.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ONLY PUT OUT THE FLAME AND CREATE WHAT? SMOKE
What better way to fight a fire than to have a Safety Mask in order to protect oneself from the Fatal effects of toxic smoke.
Our product protects You and your Loved Ones 100% from SMOKE - FLAME & BURNING ASH.
Guaranteed 30 Minutes of Breathable Air / Up to 1400 Degrees F Protection / Meets European EN403 standard.
Everything from Carbon Monoxide ( CO ) / Hydrogen Cyanide ( HCN ) / Hydrogen Chloride ( HCL ) / Acrolein ( CH2CHCHO ) / Anthrax / Flame / Thermal Radiation / Dropping Dust and Hot Ash from Fire and protects the head 100% from many other toxic gases and smoke. Technology used and licensed by NASA
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I would like to have newspaper articles and pictures baout the haze in Singapore(1997).Please email to me!! It is part of my Geography project. THANKS:]
Hi NoRa,
I didn't respose for Haze article but I just check information for my paper, too. So I've some listing about those information, it may be useful for you, too.
1. http://www.gov.sg/env/psi/haze_faq.html
2. http://www.gov.sg/metsin/hazed.html
3. http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/2701/eepsea2.htm
4. http://ww.stb.com.sg/t21/index.stm
5. http;//www.cybrary.com.sg/pages/fact.html
6. http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/2701/haze388.htm
7. http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/2701/haze389.htm