Letter: Professionals to protect forests

This is a comment on an article titled, “Forestry education is out of fashion,” (The Jakarta Post, June 26).

Congratulations on such a sound article. I do hope that people in high places get to read it and are influenced by it. My perception is that the average Indonesian forestry professional is not adequately trained to deal with the future. In 2006, I convened a small forum of final year forestry students from a small provincial university and was shocked to discover that only one had even heard of climate change and none had heard of the then recently released Stern report on climate change.

Almost all indicated their belief that the only job option on graduation was to apply to the Forestry Ministry and the main reason given was that they would receive a pension on retirement. How could people with such a narrow education and outlook make a difference to the Indonesian forestry that is desperately needed.

Further, it is one thing to be academically equipped with knowledge on the theory of forest management but unless that education embraces how to stop the gross corruption in the industry and the apparent inability to achieve sustainable forest management, then all will be wasted just like the forests.

When forestry graduates collectively and individually are dedicated to making the difference so desperately needed, Indonesia’s forests will continue to be degraded and destroyed. No amount of REDD money will be able to put the forests back together again.

Nairdah
Sydney