Indonesia Would Stop The Conversion of Peat Land And of Forests For Two Years

"Indonesia remains committed to protection of its rainforests as part of the global initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) Plus scheme", President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Thursday in a speech during the opening session of the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference at Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica in the surrounding hills of Oslo, according to Jakarta Post (27/5/2010).

The President's statement affirmed his pledge on Wednesday night that Indonesia "would conduct a moratorium for two years where we stop the conversion of peatland and of forests" during a historic agreement signing with Norway, which provides a US$ 1 billion grant for Indonesia in phases to protect the Southeast Asian nation's forests.

Yudhoyono also said Indonesia would preserve its forests "with or without international help".

But having financial limitations, Yudhoyono expected the REDD Plus scheme to be pushed forward, "Working with our developed country partners, we will protect Indonesia’s globally significant carbon- and biodiversity-rich tropical rainforests while helping local populations become more prosperous"

Forest areas in Indonesia have a size of 130 million hectares, but only the areas of 43 million hectares are still dense and fertile. It is known as primary forest. However, it also accounts for a large portion of the world's deforestation, especially on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

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