Targeted by many illegal loggers, forests in East Aceh are increasingly deteriorating

Loss of forest cover has a negative impact on human life because it can trigger natural disasters and global warming.

DOK KPH III DINAS LINGKUNGAN HIDUP DAN KEHUTANAN ACEH

Combined officers found wood in a production forest in East Aceh Regency on Monday (29/4/2024). The wood is suspected to be a result of illegal logging.

IDI RAYEUK, KOMPAS — Joint officers found at least 31 cubic meters of wood resulting from illegal logging in a production forest area in Banda Alam District, East Aceh Regency, Aceh. Throughout 2023, East Aceh will lose 611 hectares of forest cover.

Head of the Forestry Management Unit (KPH) III of the Aceh Forestry Agency, Fajri, when contacted on Tuesday (April 30, 2024), stated that a joint operation involving KPH III, the police, and the military conducted a patrol on Monday (April 29, 2024) targeting the production forest area. Prior to this, the officer received information regarding logging activities in the area.

"The type of mixed jungle wood, which is the evidence, is still in the forest and we cannot transport it due to difficult road access," said Fajri.

Also read: Aceh Forest Targeted by Timber Traders

Fajri stated that upon arriving at the location, the joint team found wood that had been split into neat piles of beams by the roadside. The culprit was not found. However, the presence of cooking equipment and sleeping gear in a nearby hut indicated that the logging activities had been going on for several days.

According to Fajri, the logging site is located in a production forest. Production forests are areas whose timber is used to meet the needs of communities, particularly for development and industry. Production forests serve as a source of wood or non-timber forest products.

"We are checking whether the permit for forest utilization has been issued in the production forest area," said Fajri.

Fajri explained that illegal logging is a threat to forest conservation. Even though routine patrols are carried out, the encroachment has not been completely eradicated.

"The patrol budget is limited, not all areas can be monitored optimally," said Fajri.

This is not the first time illegal logging has occurred in East Aceh's forests. In April 2023, his team found 12 sticks of resin in the other use area (APL) in Simpang Jernih District. Officers also found heavy equipment used by loggers.

Also read: Aceh Loses 8,906 Hectares of Forest Cover

East Aceh is an area with large forest cover loss in Aceh. Most of the forests in the district are included in the Leuser Ecosystem Area (KEL). Throughout 2019-2020, the Aceh Regional Police confiscated 230 cubic meters of mixed wood, 20 heavy equipment, 54 wood transport cars and 30 wood splitting machines.

Geographic Information System (GIS) Manager of HAkA Foundation, Lukmanul Lukman, said that his team regularly records the rate of forest cover loss in Aceh. By 2023, East Aceh will have lost forest cover of 611 hectares, which is twice the size of the Gelora Bung Karno complex in Jakarta.

According to data from the HAkA Foundation, East Aceh consistently ranks among the top five districts with the most forest cover loss. The causes vary, ranging from illegal logging for timber sales, encroachment for community plantations, to illegal opening by companies.

According to Lukman, throughout the year 2023, Aceh will lose 8,906 hectares of forest cover in total. Forest degradation can trigger ecological disasters, such as floods, landslides, and droughts.

On the other hand, deforestation within the Conservation Forest Area (KEL) increases the potential for conflicts between wild animals and humans. This is caused by the disruption of the protected animal habitats. However, KEL is the only place in the world inhabited by four key animal species, namely tigers, elephants, orangutans, and rhinos.

Apart from that, forest degradation can also trigger natural disasters, such as floods, flashes and droughts, as well as conflicts with protected animals.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI MASRY

The damage to the forest within Gunung Leuser National Park, Southeast Aceh, Aceh Province, has decreased the environmental carrying capacity. The loss of forest cover triggers ecological disasters.

Previously, environmental engineering lecturer at Serambi Mekkah University in Banda Aceh, Teuku Muhammad Zulfikar, stated that forest degradation accelerates climate change and global warming. Even worse, global warming collapses the agricultural sector, which is a pillar of national food security.

Zulfikar is urging all parties to immediately restore damaged forests. Currently, the government provides a social forestry scheme to restore the forest by involving residents.

Also read: R&D Analysis of ”Kompas”: Stopping the Rate of Deforestation