———— Environment Watch ment Wratcn: The Jakarta Post a Friday, August 22, 2008 Villages in Magelang issue laws to protect environment Suherdjoko The Jakarta Fost Magelang number of villages in Magelang regency, Central “Java, "have made a significant "break- through in imposing laws on environmental conservation by issuing @ set of local ordi- ances, including on fishing and water management. ‘The rules are aimed at providing village officials as well as residents with a legal basis to reprimand and mete out penalties against offenders. Eight villages dotting the southern slope of Mount ‘Sumbing have begun enacted their respective ordinances, The villages are: Sukomak- mur, Sutopati, Sukorejo, Su komulyo, Krumpakan, Ban Jaragung, Mangunrejo and Sambak villages, all in Kajo- ran district, Magelang. “We have more freedom of action and we are no longer hesitant to enforce the guide- lines," Sutopati village secre tary Suharto told The Jakarta Post recently, “We have placed sign boards displaying the village ordinances ina number of strategic places, such as at the entrance to the village, near water sources, along the river and in the eco tourism forest, “We're certain the sign- boards are quite visible to people.” The rules, which consist of 12 chapters and 14 articles, were drawn up during @ series of village meetings and were authenticated on Sept. 26, 2007 by village chief Hartono and acting Mage- lang regency administration secretary Soeharno. “We held seven meetings to draft the ordinances. Given the village ordinances, we now have a legal umbrella to remind our residents, or ‘those from other villages with negative intentions, not damage the environment said Suharto, Paragraph 10 of the docu- ment states: Anyone caught fishing using poison (potash or poison roots) can be fined 10 times the value of the catch, and anyone caught fishing using electrical or stunning devices will be fined 10 times the combined value of the catch and the confiscated equipment, ‘The same applies to hunters using prohibited weapons, ‘The ordinance for Banjara- gung village entails 10 para- ‘graphs and 30 articles. Article 10 concerns potable water use. Residents are urged to use water sparingly and according to their needs. The article also demands that residents pay water tar- iffs agreed to by heads of their respective villages. The rules also require household waste be dumped in designated areas to avoid damage to the environment, Paragraph 7 details pun ishments and prohibitions similar to those of Surapati village, although its fines are stiffer, According to the para- graph, those caught fishing with ‘poison will be fined between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1 million and their equipment will be confiscated. Nongovernmental group Environmental Services Pro gram (ESP) has been instru- mental in enacting the vil- lages’ ordinances, with ‘the main goal of preserving the environment as well as water sources around Mount Sumbing, “The Potorono area is of {great significance in that it is @ catchment area and is located in the upper reaches of the Tangsi River, which is part of the Progo river’ delta area, “The area is also rich in bio-diversity, which is key to balanced environment,” said watershed management spe- clalist of the Central Java and Yogyakarta office ESP M, Sigit Widodo. ‘The village ordinances are enacted mainly to ensure water source conservation, welfare improvement and village-generated income growth, “The ordinances can further ensure sustainable environ ‘mental preservation and water source use, and in a more macro manner can also boost efforts in protecting the area's biodiversity for the sake of achieving harmonious sur- roundings)"Sigit said. The villages’ ordinances reflect their communities’ individual urgencies. For example, Sukomakmur village’s rules give partic ular” attention to forest. resource management in Sukomakmur forest, while that of Sutopati village focus es more on management of natural resources and that of Sukorejo village emphasizes environment management and planning, Sukomulyo village's rules focus on preservation efforts and forest resource man- agement, while Krumpa- kan’s mainly concern forest resources management and conservation; Banjaragung's cover water management, Mangunrejo’s sustainable for” est resources and Sambak's agribusiness development and management.