New State Minister for the Environment Gusti Muhammad Hatta will prioritize addressing the issues of climate change, forest fires and river basins in his first 100 days in office.
Gusti, a professor at Lambung Mangkurat University in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, said he would strengthen Indonesia’s standing in international climate change talks to make sure targets for global emissions cuts could be reached in the key UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December.
“President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked me to promote Indonesia as a leading player in the climate change conference,” he said in an interview prior to his inauguration.
Gusti said he would further promote carbon trading as a mechanism to encourage more companies or local governments to run clean development mechanism (CDM) projects.
Indonesia currently has about 100 CDM projects but so far, only three companies have secured international funding from selling the carbon, lagging behind China, India and other Asian countries.
In addressing forest fires, Gusti, a former consultant to the Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR), said that he would seek a workable mechanism to stop the disaster.
“I know it is hard as many of the forest fires are in my hometown, Kalimantan. I will formulate an effective policy to stop the fires,” he said.
Gusti said forest fires harmed people’s health and local business.
“I will coordinate with the Forestry Ministry to make the program a success,” Gusti, who admitted to have received many calls from mining companies offering assistances regarding his new job, said.
Gusti also aims to focus on rehabilitating critical river basins across the country.
Data from the Forestry Ministry shows that 282 out of 458 river basins were in critical condition.
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