NEM : PREPARE FOR DISAPPOINTMENT??

On reading this report Nik Aziz denies donation needed for timber concession! that the State Government has denied that fees have to be paid for receiving Timber concessions, I feel that whatever that have been announced in the recent NEM Phase One Project will fall by the wayside, once again, a noble effort being the victim of parochial politics and corruption. I am also reading the NEAC site, which has one of its Key focus issues, Environment/Sustainability and I must say here that though this is a very commendable effort by the experts and consultants, it will not be understood by the rakyat, the politicians who are the "key" people affected by the implementation of measures to protect our environment and our biodiversity. In order to invigorate our rakyat, and to show that the Government mean business, the NEM has to be simplified and implementation made into steps that all, including the money crazed businessmen will understand. The NEM must be stated in simple sentences and not be clouded by verbosity, which, in our nation where English is not used as the primary language of communication, will be so much tougher to understand.

Coming back to to this issue of Timber concessions being awarded to timber tycoons year after year, by the various State Govts, (whether 'fees' are paid for them or not), if the Federal Govt really believes in sustainability of its natural forest Reserves and the benefits accruing from them, it must have the political will to come out with policies transcending parochial politics and big money businessmen to maintain and protect our biodiversity I would like to quote from the "The economics of ecosystems and Biodiversity" where the benefits that can be derived from a PROTECTED forest are:

• Medicines
• Erosion Control
• Carbon Storage (reducing our carbon footprint)
  
• recreation and forest products ,and may I add
• preservation of our potable water sources.
  

In order to come up with measures to protect our forests, the Govt is required to state clearly the achievable and measurable steps so that implementaion by all parties will not be ambiguous, and which will be enforceable, legally and administratively. Example:

• Reduce the acreage of forests approved for timber extraction by 10% annually
• Increase the area of planted forests by 10% annually
• Designate and preserve Forest Reserves (and water catchment areas), to be decreed as part of our National Heritage
• Violation of the Forest reserves and water catchment areas to be declared a crime against the Nation
• Security and Surveillance of Forest Reserves to be conducted by an Independent body, reporting independently to the Govt
  
• Timber Extraction companies to employ fully trained extractors and operators, so that collateral damage to the uncut timber and saplings is minimized.
• Export of timber and logs to be certified internationally to be from sustainable

The above list is not complete, of course, but clearly articulated policies, leaving no doubt as to its intention will give us the assurance that the Govt means 'business'. Obviously, effective enforcement of the policies will be vital.

I remember Andrew Sheng, a consultant of the NEAC saying that for the NEM to succeed, we need political will and a mindset change. Do we have them?

Logging: Clear policies, political will important