Jakarta. Indonesia has temporarily suspended all timber extraction and log transportation in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra after flash floods and landslides killed nearly 1,000 people and caused widespread destruction to public infrastructure.

The Forestry Ministry said the emergency policy was prompted by the discovery of large amounts of timber debris swept away by the floods, which intensified the force of the disaster and fueled public criticism of the forestry sector.

Laksmi Wijayanti, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, said on Tuesday that extreme weather and the accumulation of logs in river flows have raised urgent concerns about disaster mitigation and environmental accountability.

“The current climate conditions require all parties to adjust and adopt serious mitigation measures because disaster risks are increasing,” Laksmi said in Jakarta.

The government is requiring forestry businesses to revise their annual work plans with an emphasis on protecting ecosystems. Companies must ensure flood-control infrastructure is functioning, that no log debris obstructs waterways, and that stockpiled timber is safely secured.

Laksmi added that routine patrols in landslide-prone areas must be carried out, and all logging operations in affected regions are to remain shut down.

“The government’s main focus now is handling floodborne timber, which can be used to accelerate recovery efforts in affected areas,” she said.

The moratorium will remain in force until further notice.

All timber stockpiles must be monitored and reported regularly to the regional Sustainable Forest Management Agency, Laksmi said, stressing that production targets must not override public safety.

“Environmental protection must take precedence over output,” she stated.

Add as a preferred source on Google +