T

he failure of the environment ministry to get other sectors in the country to abide by the rules was the main problem in protecting the environment over the last five years, a discussion concluded here Tuesday.

Coupled with weak law enforcement, the situation led to frequent natural disasters across the country, environmentalists and legislators at the discussion agreed.

Legislator Tjatur Sapto Edi said the state ministry for the environment had failed to bring environmental issues to the mainstream for officials, businesses and industries, mainly due to its poor diplomacy and bargaining positions.

"I admire the *green' diplomacy skills of Minister Rachmat Witoelar in the international arena, but his office has failed to do the same in Indonesia," Tjatur said at a press briefing.

"I haven't seen any environmental violators strongly punished during Rachmat's term."

He said many of the ministry's programs were still widely seen as mere formalities.

Rachmat, who was named state minister for the environment in 2004, gained international acclaim after serving as president of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and president of the Conference of Parties (COP 13) on climate change.

The former Indonesian ambassador to Russia currently heads the COP on the Basel Convention on hazardous waste.

University of Indonesia environment expert Setyo Mursidik said the ministry needed to hone its domestic diplomacy rather than take on international engagements to protect the country's environment.

"In the future, the office should focus on negotiating environmental issues with other sectors," he said.

"It should be able to influence decisions made in other ministries in Indonesia."

Setyo added environmental degradation across the country was continuing to mount, made worse by a failure to economic and population pressure.

"Air pollution alone costs the country US$400 million a year, with the main victims being poor people," he said.

The Mining Network's (Jatam) Siti Maemunah criticized the ministry for its weak enforcement of laws to protect the environment.

"The office gives green awards to polluting companies," she pointed out.

Rachmat's office has long faced pressure to adequately deal with ever more frequent natural disasters, including floods and landslides, caused by abysmal environmental management.

But Rachmat, in his opening speech at the discussion, said his office had made significant improvements in raising public awareness of environmental problems.

"We've built a basic capital of public awareness for protecting the environment," he said.

"Even President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talks about environmental affairs in Cabinet meetings."

He claimed water quality in many rivers, for one, had improved.

Henri Bustaman, the minister's deputy for communication and public empowerment, said the office was now boosted by two new laws on waste management and environmental protection and management.