Pekanbaru, Riau Province (ANTARA News) - A local NGO called the Networking of Riau Forest Saviors (Jikalahari) has estimated that only two million hectares of Riau?s forest areas remained.
The province`s forest areas dwindled drastically compared to those 10 years ago which had reached four million hectares, Jikalahari Coordinator Hariansyah said here on Tuesday.
The forest coverage in Riau shrunk significantly following the land use transformations for wood industries and oil palm plantations.
Due to the business activities, around 200,000 hectares of forest areas in Riau disappeared annually, he said.
In addition to rapid deforestation, the Sumatran province?s peat areas were also degraded seriously.
Riau used to have the largest and deepest peat area in Indonesia, but the peat coverage in the province had decreased drastically, he said.
"The peat coverage has shrunk drastically, despite the fact that the existence of peat forest areas is significant to keep the ecology of Riau Province in balance," Hariansyah said.
He blamed the Riau Provincial administration for issuing policies which allowed transformation of peat and forest areas for plantations and logging.
"The transformation of peat areas continue here despite the fact that it is legally protected by a presidential instruction," the NGO activist said.
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