Indonesia issues warning as Papua glaciers face total destruction by 2020

BMKG Wamena head Benny Marlissa said deforestation served as one of the causes behind the retreating glaciers, saying that lack of government involvement in logging by indigenous groups had prompted an increase in the glaciers’ decline. 
“We see logging everywhere around Wamena, without control, because the public feels that they have hak ulayat [indigenous land rights],” Benny said on Friday in Wamena, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Additionally, Benny also criticised economic interests as a driving force behind logging, with profitorientated businesses choosing to ignore environฌmental concerns. 
“If there is logging, there should also be replanting,” he said. 
Highlighting that the mountainous areas in Papua are rocky with a thin layer of soil, Benny said tree growth would also take longer than normal. 
BMKG head Andi Eka Sakya previฌously said glaciers in Jayawijaya Peak risk disappearing by 2020, adding that the latest observations recorded a decrease of 1.42 metres between May and November 2016.
“The remaining ice layer at Jawawijaya peak measures 20.54 metres. The layer of ice by May 2016 had reduced by 4.26 metres since November 2015 due to the strong El Nino effects in 2015 and 2016,” Andi said. 
The government and the global community must take strategic measฌures to suppress melting ice at the Jayawijaya Peak, Andi said, noting that it was one of three ice peaks on the equator, with the others in Africa and Peru. 
Necessary steps must combat actions that could trigger further globฌal warming, such as illegal logging and high carbon emissions, he added.