Floods triggered by incessant heavy rains since Wednesday (28/7), have inundated residential areas in Badung District and Denpasar, Bali Province. The floodwaters reaching a height of up to one’s neck at Padang Sambian for instance, submerged at least seven houses. However, there was not report of casualty in the disaster. Floods were reported to have caused major flooding in Kuta, including the main Sunset road and Dewi Sri causing the closure of the road for one day and forcing business to close on Thursday (29/7) until the waters subsided. (July 30th 2010)
Hope for Java’s Silvery Gibbon After Lost Communities Found
The survival prospects of the silvery gibbon, also known as the Javan gibbon, are looking a lot rosier now following revelations that there are more than 1,000 of the primates in previously overlooked forests in Central Java. A previously unrecorded population of 896 gibbons was discovered near Mount Slamet in Central Java, while 176 were found at the nearby Dieng Plateau, Arif Setiawan, a wildlife researcher at Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University, told the International Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation in Sanur, Bali. Additionally, the results - gathered between August 2009 and February 2010 - were from a study that was still ongoing, so the final figures could be even higher, Arif added. The silvery gibbon, which is endemic to Java, is found mainly in the forests of the Ujung Kulon, Gunung Halimun Salak and Gunung Gede Pangrango national parks in Banten and West Java. In 2005, the Indonesian Institute for Biodiversity Sciences recorded that Ujung Kulon had 560 gibbons, Gunung Gede Pangrango 447 and Gunung Halimun Salak 1,221. Conservative estimates put the total wild population of silvery gibbons at about 5,000. However, conservationists believe only 2,000 are genetically viable to propagate the species. The gibbon is threatened by poaching for the illegal pet trade and also by the continued destruction of its habitat. (July 22nd 2010)
10% of Tsunami Detecting Instruments Damaged
Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) spokesman Ing Ediansjah said on Thursday (29/7) that although ten percent of the instruments have been damaged, it did not hamper the earthquake and tsunami detection system. He explained that the earthquake and tsunami detecting instruments function collectively or in parallel so when one of them is out of order, the rests still function well. Ediansjah said the damage of the tsunami detection instruments could be monitored and repaired immediately. In the technical guidance on disaster early warning system, attended by representatives from local government and community, Ediansjah explained several ways of how to save oneself when earthquake and tsunami struck. (July 29th 2010)
Giant Recall for Faulty Gas Canisters
The continuing series of explosions involving gas canisters that have already claimed several lives in the capital this year has prompted the government to recall about nine million substandard three-kilogram gas canisters starting today, a minister said on Wednesday. “The cylinders that do not meet the Indonesian National Standards [SNI] will be recalled,” Agung Laksono, coordinating minister for people’s welfare, said at the Presidential Palace. The state has distributed the fuel in an effort to trim subsidies by replacing more expensive kerosene for cooking. “They will be pulled out of circulation when they are returned for refill,” Agung said of the gas canisters. The government will accompany the recall with a massive public information drive to teach safe use of the gas stoves, he said. He also said the campaign would teach users to be mindful of the gas regulators’ and hoses’ expiration dates. Agung said several state institutions, including oil and Gas Company PT. Pertamina and the ministries of energy; industry and home affairs would take part in the information drive. Adj. Sr. Comr. Eko Saputro of the Jakarta Police special crimes division said that 14 operations had been busted; all but two involving siphoning gas from the cheaper, subsidized three-kg canisters to fill larger containers, which are then sold for market price. Police have also swooped on five plants that produce substandard gas canisters, said Adj. Sr. Comr. Sandi Nugroho, head of the industry and trade unit of the detective’s office. (July 29th 2010)
Tourist Arrivals up 14 percent
More than 3.38 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia in the first half of 2010, up 14 percent from the same period last year, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said. In June 2010 alone, more than 613.4 thousand foreign tourists visited the country, an 11.41 percent increase compared to the same period last year, BPS Chief Rusman Heriawan said here on Monday (2/8). Compared to May, the number of tourist arrivals in June slightly rose 2.23 percent, he said. The number of tourists visiting Bali via Ngurah Rai Airport in June 2010 reached 224.7 thousand, an increase of 12.07 percent compared to June 2009 or 12.68 percent to May 2010, he said. In the January-June 2010 period, the number of domestic and foreign-bound air passengers increased 20.99 percent to 20 million and 25.96% to 4.5 million respectively compared to the same period last year.(August 2nd 2010)
Six Tourist Beaches in Bali Polluted: Expert
A laboratory test on seawater from six tourist beaches in Indonesia’s Bali shows that they are polluted. Researcher Ketut Sundra from the Department of Biology at Udayana University in the provincial capital city of Denpasar said that the lab test showed the presence of pollutants that exceed the environmental quality standards at all six beaches. Sundra named the six beaches as Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Tanjung Benoa and Canggu, all popular tourist destinations. Speaking at a seminar at his university, Sundra said that the samples of seawater were taken during both dry and rainy seasons in 2008 and 2009, and 19 parameters were tested. “Kuta, Legian, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua can be categorized as lightly polluted while Tanjung Benoa and Canggu are moderately polluted,” he said. He said that eight pollutants had been found on the beaches, meaning that seawater failed to meet the standard necessary to be classified as clean. Sundara blamed the pollution on the ineffective waste management by hotels, restaurants and other hospitality, as well as tourist-related business in the area (July 30th 2010)
Lombok Resort Still on Track: Emaar
Dubai-based property developer Emaar Properties has again been forced to deny it has pulled out of a $600 million resort project on the island of Lombok, which has been idle for years. The property developer said it had “responded on time and with total commitment to the proposals of [joint developer] the Bali Tourism Development Corporation for the project.” The statement came in response to comments from the Indonesian government, published by the local media last week, which said that officials were to retender the project after Emaar pulled out. Emaar said it had provided recommendations on how it intended to proceed with the development, adding: “Emaar has strong financial fundamentals and will undertake all strategic projects across its key markets.” Emaar did not disclose the current status of the project. Last week, the head of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board, Gita Wirjawan, said potential investors from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India had expressed interest and could be ready to replace Emaar. This is not the first time that Emaar has denied pulling out of the project. In March, Emaar said it was still planning to proceed and was awaiting a response from an expression of interest it had submitted to the Bali tourism authority. The comment in March was made after the Indonesian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mohammad Supriyadi, said that Emaar had abandoned the project. (July 26th 2010)
Expo Shows Illegal Pet Trade Rampant in Indonesia
The most threatened tortoise in the world is being sold openly at a plant and animal exposition in the heart of Indonesia’s capital, highlighting concerns about the rampant and growing illegal pet trade. The country has become a major trading hub for endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles, including species from Africa , South America and Asia, said Chris Shepherd of TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife monitoring network. He said the government has failed to follow up on repeated promises to crackdown. Those found Friday at Jakarta’s annual flora and fauna expo - held from July 2 until Aug. 2 - included the world’s most threatened ploughshare tortoise and the critically endangered radiated tortoises, both from Madagascar and fetching around $150. Cages also were filled with rare Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species, known as CITES, and the endangered pig-nose tortoise, from Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua, both selling for $1,500. Vendors told The Associated Press other threatened tortoises and turtles not found on display could easily be obtained for a price. “Recent surveys, and this expo, have shown that the trade continues and, in fact, now involves more illegally imported species than ever,” said Shepherd. “Dealers know full well that it is illegal and are taking advantage of the enforcement agencies lack of action.” Indonesia, one of the most biologically diverse nations in the world, has for years sold everything from eagles and leopard cats to gibbons as pets in the capital, though often less openly. Shady transactions continue to take place in the back alleys of the popular Pramuka Market. (August 1st 2010)
Some 69 percent of Java, Bali Mangrove Forests Damaged
The People’s Coalition for Fishery Justice has appealed to the government on the need to preserve and improve mangrove forests. The mangrove preservation is necessary as the forests provide a unique environment for fishes, shrimp, and mollusks for spawning and rearing. According to data of the People`s Coalition for Fishery Justice (Kiara), damage of mangrove forests in the 1997-2008 period reached 68 percent. Kiara program coordinator Abdul Halim said in Jakarta Wednesday (28/7) that damage of the mangrove ecosystem was caused by industrial waste in coastal areas. Other causes include coastal land conversion for industrial purposes, commercial centers and luxury residential areas. The wastes caused damage to the mangrove ecosystem. The Ministry of Marine and Fishery Affairs set itself a target that by 2014, some 1,440 hectares of coastal areas would be preserved preventing them from environmental damage along national coastal areas.( July 28th 2010) .
Red Faces as Porn Movie Accidentally Screened in Indonesian Parliament
A pornographic movie was broadcast on the Indonesian parliament’s internal information service on Tuesday ((3/8), shocking journalists and lawmakers who rely on the screens for updates on political events. Images apparently taken from the internet filled the screens used by reporters, political staff and visitors for about 15 minutes before security guards managed to shut it off, reporters said. It was not clear how the images appeared on the screens, but House Speaker Marzuki Alie said whoever was responsible would be punished. “Whoever hacked the screens is insolent and will be reported to the authorities,” he warned. The incident was sure to embarrass President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who recently backed calls for stricter controls on the internet following a national scandal over an online celebrity sex clip. (August 3rd 2010)
