Tommy Pardede – The flash floods that hit a number of areas in Aceh over the last few days have received considerable attention from the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam).
Based on analysis of concession maps, Jatam believes that the disaster was not just caused by extreme rainfall, but also the impact of forest damage upstream of rivers, including Industrial Plantation Forest (HTI) concessions covering almost 97 thousand hectares owned by President Prabowo Subianto through PT Tusam Hutani Lestari (PT THL).
Prabowo's HTI concession areas are spread across Central Aceh, Bener Meriah, Bireuen and North Aceh, and are close to dozens of mineral and coal mining permits, other HTIs, Forest Concession Rights (HPH) and oil palm plantations.
Jatam believes that this overlapping of permits erodes forest cover, damages water catchment areas and weakens nature's ability to retain water runoff from rain.
"This map shows the structural roots of flooding in Aceh. Many upstream areas have been cleared for mining and timber concessions, including those belonging to the president", said Jatam in a press release on Wednesday December 3.
At many points, local governments have attributed flooding to river overflows due to heavy rain, but the Jatam map overlay adds another layer of facts: 30 mining permits covering an area of 132 thousand hectares, plus HTI concessions right up to the edges of settlements, also contribute to the risk of flooding.
Severely affected districts include Pidie Jaya, Central Aceh, North Aceh, Southeast Aceh, South Aceh, Aceh Tamiang, Gayo Lues and Aceh Singkil, now on emergency alert status.
In Linge, Central Aceh, PT Tusam Hutani Lestari's HTIs cover almost 100 thousand hectares and have triggered local protests because it has turned customary forests into industrial pine plantations and narrowed the living space of the Gayo community.
"When the Linge forests were replaced by industrial plantations and roads were opened, their ecological function was damaged. The impact is now being felt throughout Aceh", local environmental activists say.
Jatam emphasised that the disaster is not just a natural phenomenon. Massive land ownership by corporations and political elites, including the president, also determine the risk of flash floods.
"This isn't just about rain, it's about who controls our forests", wrote Jatam in the press release.
Activists are asked the central government to conduct an audit of permits across sectors – mining, HTIs, plantations and HPHs – to prevent additional victims, because Aceh is at a critical point due to overlapping permits over the last two decades.
The history of Prabowo's HTI land ownership in Central Aceh has been known since the 2019 presidential election. At that time, his then rival and incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said Prabowo owned 120 thousand hectares in Central Aceh, which Prabowo later confirmed as HGU, the right to cultivate state-owned land.
This HTI land was obtained through the purchase of shares in PT Tusam Hutani Lestari from business tycoon Bob Hasan, according to the head of the Aceh Environment and Forestry Service, Syahrial.
Until now, the government has not provided clarification regarding the public attention on the PT Tusam Hutani Lestari concessions, while the process of evacuating flood victims is still ongoing in various districts in Aceh.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Jatam : Konsesi HTI Milik Prabowo Picu Banjir Aceh".]
Source: https://www.sawitku.id/nasional/81416364558/jatam-konsesi-hti-milik-prabowo-jadi-pemicu-banjir-aceh
