AUSTRALIA HELPS JAMBI OVERCOME GLOBAL WARMING

Jambi, Mar 10, (ANTARA) - The Australian government will provide the Jambi provincial administration with 30 million Australian dollars in assistance to reduce carbon gas emission.

"We will be given the assistance because we have a commitment to cooperate with the international community in overcoming the effects of global warming," Secretary of the Jambi Climate Change Team Didy Wurjanto said here Wednesday.

He said the assistance was quite big, because one million Australian dollars is equal 8.4 billion rupiahs. The aid is given under a commitment of the advanced countries to help countries with enough forests in reducing carbon gas emissions.

The project is based on the industrialized countries' realization as they have industries contributing to the carbon gas emissions causing global warming.

"Indonesia was chosen because it has the third largest forests in the world. Central Kalimantan and Jambi had been chosen as the locations," he said.

Didy also said that according to Asutralian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer, Jambi Governor Zulkifli Nurdin was very enthusiastic and committed to the joint efforts of overcoming the carbon emissions and forest fires, especially to follow up on the commitment of President SBY to reduce carbon gas emissions by 26 percent at Indonesia's own expenses, and 41 percent with aid of the international community.

To follow up on reducing the carbon gas emission on a national scale the Jambi province has set up a climate change team chaired by Assistance II AR SH MSi.
He said the team had formed an action plan on reducing forest fires and environmental-based land management like the development of plantations, agriculture, and cattle farming by ways and means friendly to the environment.

The action plan has drawn the interest of the Australian government with a commitment and 250 million Australian dollars to help the developing countries overcome problems of global warning.
"The Australian ambassador has visited Jambi and sent a letter to the Governor informing him of this assistance. And the government had agreed," he said.

The regencies as the focus of the action plan, Didy said are the Sarolangun and Merangin regencies, as the two regencies were considered the most understanding about the Australian assistance.