GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS LEAVE KAMPAR PENINSULA

Jakarta, Nov 14 (ANTARA) – Greenpeace activists –who set up a camp last month and sealed the heavy-duty equipment of PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) in Kampar Peninsula, Indonesia’s Riau province, two days ago — left the location on Saturday after police gave them until 6 pm to leave the place. “Fifteen of [...]

HAZE STILL HAMPERING FLIGHTS IN KALIMANTAN

Jakarta, Sept 10 (ANTARA) – Haze that has blanketed at least three airports in West and Central Kalimantan provinces has been disturbing flight activities to and from the regions in the past few days. Pontianak’s Supadio airport of West Kalimantan was closed for one hour on Thursday while Beringin airport of Muara Teweh of Central [...]

RI EXPECTS MODERATE IMPACT OF EL NINO

Jakarta, July 29 (ANTARA) – Experts have predicted that El Nino, a climate phenomenon with a significant influence on global weather, ocean conditions and marine fisheries, will begin hitting the Asian region, including Indonesia, later this year and will last until 2010. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists this month announced the arrival [...]

RI TO OPERATE NUKE PLANT IN 1016

Jakarta, July 23 (ANTARA) – Despite opposition from several quarters, the government is seemingly resolved to continue its plan to build a nuclear power plant as a cheap power supply resource for the people.
“We are now popularizing the nuclear power development plan. We hope we would have already operated a nuclear power plant commercially in [...]

RI BRACING FOR DROUGHTS

Jakarta, July 16 (ANTARA) – Haze, which is the omen of the arrival of annual drought, has once again begun to disturb people’s activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan and has even threatened neighboring countries.
Haze produced by forest and plantation fires in Riau province has the potential of drifting to neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia, [...]

JOINT EFFORTS NEEDED TO REPAIR DAMAGED RIVER AREAS

Jakarta, June 6 (ANTARA) – About 60 percent of Indonesia’s 458 river basin areas (DAS) which have the function to hold water during the rainy season and distribute it during the dry spells are now reportedly damaged. This raises concerns as it causes floods when heavy rain falls and water scarcity when dry season comes.

RI PLAYING IMPORTANT ROLES IN HOLDING PEAT CARBON SINKS

Jakarta, May 29 (ANTARA) – Indonesia plays an important role in holding billions of tons peat carbon sinks which, if released, could aggravate global warming and endanger life on earth. Indonesia is host to 34 billion tons of peat carbon sinks, most of which are to be found in Riau province and Kalimantan. In Kalimantan, [...]

WOC TO TRY SAVING LIVES OF COASTAL PEOPLE

Jakarta, May 11 (ANTARA) – The ongoing World Ocean Conference (WOC) in Manado, North Sulawesi, will formulate efforts to save not only the seas and marine resources but also the lives of people living in coastal areas.    “The adaptation and mitigation framework that the meeting will formulate is aimed at safeguarding not only the seas [...]

SIXTY PCT OF RI’S RIVER BASINS IN POOR CONDITION

Jakarta, April 8 (ANTARA) – Floods, landslides and other natural disasters which have caused huge material losses and claimed an uncountable number of lives over the past several years, are partly blamed on the loss of forests in river basin areas (DAS). Floods and landslides hit various parts of [...]

PEAT FOR DOLLAR, OR DOLLAR FOR PEAT?

Jakarta, March 7 (ANTARA) – Katte Tolli, a 45-year-old farmer who owns a 5-hectare oil palm plantation in Jambi, Sumatra, was depressed when the crude palm oil (CPO) price plunged last year, while Kholil, 35, who also had a 5-hectare oil palm plantation, could still smile confidently. [...]