Herman Hidayat

Japan: The Initial and Development of Pulp and Paper Industry

The paper industries are rapidly developed in Japan. Currently, Japan is placed at the third rank after US and China, which produced 30.8 million tons paper among major producers of pulp and paper in the world (2005). This phenomenon, pulp and paper is categorized number thirteen (13) among the largest manufacturing in Japan, which total amount reached Y 6.8 trillion and absorbed 34,839 employees. From this perspective, the role of government as a direct actor, especially the Meiji government is so significant to discuss. This government launched ‘affirmative action’ on political stability and economic development. In the case of economic development, Meiji launched policy by establishing facilities, such as banking, infrastructure, inviting foreign experts to build factories, and even sent scholars to study western civilization. This paper focuses on the role of government to launch policy and regulation for paper industries in Japan.

USA: Sustainable Forest Management

The Ministers attending the 9th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF-9, 24 January-4 February 2011, New York) recognized that 1.6 billion people—nearly a quarter of the world’s population—depend on forests for subsistence, livelihood, timber, fuel and income generation.

Yakushima-Japan: Sustainable Forest Management

Japan’s land territory covers 380,000 km2; her position is categorized as number 61 in the world. But Japan’s territorial waters and EEZ combined are 12 times as large (4,470,000 km2) as its land area, placing it number six in the world (Kuwahara 2013).1 The National Parks, which registered 30 units, covers 2,091,163 million ha, or occupying 5.5% of the country’s total land, play a significant role for forest conservation and also a crucial role in protecting the Japan’s wealthy ecosystems, such as forests, waters, wetlands, seashores and coral reefs and wildlife therein and preserving them for future generations.

Tanjung Puting National Park Central Kalimantan-Indonesia

Forests are one of the renewable natural resources that provides elements for human beings to produce and consume. Yet, forest has regeneration potential and limited assimilation, if during its exploitation under the limited assimilation, forest resources can be utilized in a sustainable manner.

Logging, Forestry Industry, and the Regional Economy

Under the first Pelita (Pembangunan Lima Tahun) (Five-Year Development), 1967–1969, only two foreign investment companies were registered within the forestry sector in East Kalimantan. The rapid development of foreign and domestic investment in the forestry sector began during the Pelita I to Pelita III (1969/1970–1983/1984) periods, where investment in the forestry sector reached 33.9 % of total investment in East Kalimantan. For example, in 1981/1982 there were 105 logging concession holders, with a total forest size area reached of 11,812,000 ha. This investment rapidly decreased to 2.97 % of total investments under Pelita IV (1984/1985–1988/1989) (Table 10.1) until Pelita V (1989/1990–1993/1994) provided for no new projects, only extensions on previous projects, with the level of investment amounting to 0.82 % of total investment in East Kalimantan.

Forestry Industry (Logging, HTI, Plywood, Pulp, and Paper)

This chapter discusses the state as the main actor in forestry management under the Soeharto government. When Soeharto came to power in 1966, after then-president Soekarno stepped down, he launched an economic program aimed at dragging his country out of the economic backwardness suffered by Indonesia, with high inflation and extreme debt. The forestry sector, based on the 1967 Foreign and Domestic Investment and Forestry Act, was a major part of the economic agenda to develop logging exports from 1968 to the 1970s, the plywood industry in the 1980s and 1990s, and the pulp and paper industry. The logging and industrial timber plantation (HTI) concession areas are in production forest. The Ministry of Forestry provides about 60 million ha of production forest. The first part of this chapter begins with the establishment of the 1967 Foreign Investment and Forestry Act, inviting private businessmen from foreign and domestic sources to become the main actors in the forestry sector by providing logging concessions and supporting the setting up of plywood, industrial timber plantations (HTI) and pulp and paper industries. The Soeharto regime obtained huge foreign exchange earnings from the forestry industry to a total of almost US

Analysts’ Comments on Deforestation

3 billion in 1990 alone, the second largest national income after the oil and gas sector. Therefore, several significant issues related to the forestry industry under the Soeharto government era are discussed in this chapter, chronologically through: (1) the introduction of logging forest concessions (HPH); (2) the plywood industry from the 1970s to the 1990s; (3) industrial timber plantations (Hutan Tanaman Industri/HTI); (4) the pulp and paper industry since the end of 1980s; and (5) the impact of the forestry industry on social conflict regarding land disputes between private companies and the local people.

NGOs’ Criticisms on Forestry Management

There are two underlying factors of deforestation: underlying/root and proximate causes. This chapter discusses both factors through the involvement of domestic and foreign agents. Domestic actors/agents involved in activities leading to forest loss are those actors such as the government agency (central and local), logging companies and forestry industry, military authorities, and local communities. Foreign agents and actors include importing countries, multinational corporation capital (MNC), and international financial institution (World Bank and IMF).

Political Transition from Soekarno to Soeharto

The roles of NGOs as indirect actors are very significant. The writer interviewed some NGO officers such as Walhi, Skephi, Apkindo, Elsam, and others, to discover the extent of their criticism on forest management in terms of discourse on HPH concession, industrial timber plantation, the impact of the plywood and pulp and paper industry, and the implication of environmental issues such as forest fires, water pollution, famine, depletion of species, and climate changes.

Government Versus Local Indigenous People in Papua

Soekarno’s regime was monumental (1945–1966). The characteristics of his government facilitated Indonesia to be an independent country from Dutch colonial rule on August 17, 1945. Soekarno and his regime launched radical policies on economic nationalization in terms of estate plantation, mining, and buildings from the Dutch. In addition, his government encouraged the holding of the Asia Africa Conference. The Conference was held in 1955, in Bandung, to liberate their countries from Western colonial domination.