To Protect Indonesia’s Wildlife, Profit Holds the Key to Success

 Partial article from The Jakarta Globe
From March 3 to 14, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) held its triennial conference in Bangkok. Some 2,000 delegates representing 177 governments attended, claiming to know how to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the latter's survival. A recent op-ed article in the Jakarta Post by Cites experts educated the reader about why he or she needed "to care about a fish" but offered little substance on why the Cites methods would be successful in delivering results.

Despite a great deal of grandiloquent conference rhetoric, it seems that endangered species such as whales, Sumatran tigers and elephants have hitherto been deriving little benefit from the enlightened wisdom of the Cites bureaucrats and their army of publicly funded green NGOs.

In a study titled "National Park Management Between Rhetoric and Results: The Failure of Indonesia's Mainstream Conservation Model," I argue among other things that the belief in bureaucratic solutions is fatal for endangered species. Green groups are quick to denounce such pragmatic approaches as "green washing," which is a cheap way of begging the question of which solutions actually work. Unfortunately, all too often green activists are more concerned about attacking private enterprise and profit-making than finding truly sustainable methods that enjoy strong local support.

Cites prides itself on protecting endangered species by regulating their trade. "International wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars," the inter-governmental body writes on its website. By subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls, "according to the degree of protection they need," Cites believes to be effectively protecting wildlife. The main tool in its tool box is trade restriction.

The problem is, however, that demand for such species has proven to be highly inelastic (insensitive to price increases). Just think of the prohibitive prices Chinese buyers are willing to pay for exotic "medicines" such as rhino horn. Thus, trade restrictions only serve to drive prices further up because they create artificial scarcity, which increases incentives for poaching. That is why trade restrictions are counterproductive, as has been convincingly argued by environmental economist Michael 't Sas-Rolfes in his study "Saving African Rhinos: A Market Success Story." The best example for the ineffectiveness of trade restrictions is the US alcohol prohibition in the 1920s.

Moreover, a great number of empirical studies demonstrate that market solutions constitute a much more effective way to save wildlife from extinction than any trade restriction could ever hope to be. The reader who is interested in learning about sustainable wildlife management should open the website of the American Property and Environment Research Center (www.perc.org). There, he will learn that, for example, in Namibia, after ownership of wildlife was turned back to the people of Namibia in 1990, the country's wildlife registered a sharp increase.

Because of the economic value contained in the wildlife and the fact that the locals derive direct benefits from it, the problems of poaching and human-wildlife conflict are very limited. For example, trophy hunting not only provides the locals with the largest source of financial benefits but also provides an effective way of dealing with problem animals, such as crop-eating elephants. The Namibian model is so successful that delegations from around the world come to Namibia to see if they can replicate it.

However, the community conservancy model might not work in other countries. It works in Namibia because of the country's relatively small size: it only has 2.1 million inhabitants and a very low population density of three people per square kilometer. The mutual familiarity of the community members (societal homogeneity and cohesion) leads to effective social control.

By contrast, in diverse mass societies such as Indonesia the institution of individual private property lends itself to nature conservation. Effective property rights are the hallmark of a market economy. If Indonesia allowed such a market, vast economic potential by far outstripping the government-to-government transfer payments in the form of foreign conservation funds could be unleashed.

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Human Contact Leading to Odd Habits in Jambi Sumatran Tigers

Jakarta Globe | March 16, 2013

Jambi's Sumatran tigers have been behaving strangely following a surge in contact with humans, zoologists say.

Wisnu Whardana, a veterinarian and zoologist from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), said increased sightings of the once-elusive creatures suggested a serious loss of their habitat as well as a decline in prey populations.

Wisnu pointed out that tigers normally avoid human settlements and plantations, but recent cases in Jambi, a province in central Sumatra, showed tigers are becoming more accustomed to human habitats.

There has also been a change in their feeding patterns, he said, with cattle found only partially consumed.

"Usually tigers would eat [their prey] to the bone. Now they just eat half a leg and leave," he said.

Wisnu postulated that Sumatran tigers in Jambi had contracted diseases from domesticated animals that led to uncharacteristic eating habits, but added further research was still needed.

Earlier this month a Jambi man sustained serious wounds to his left thigh after being attacked by a Sumatran tiger.

Sutrisno, 45, was tapping for rubber on his plantation.

The attack came just two weeks after two farmers in Jambi's West Tanjung Jabung were attacked by tigers and hospitalized. Last month, a domesticated cow in Batanghari was killed and eaten by tigers.

The Jambi chapter of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) said the vast majority of Sumatra's tiger population live inside the Kerinci Seblat National Park.

The conservation area contains territory in three provinces — Jambi, West Sumatra and Bengkulu — and was heavily affected by recent floods.

Massive deforestation was also blamed for the increasing number of encounters with the species, of which there are only 30 to 40 in the entire province of Jambi.

BKSDA official and veteran tiger conservationist Bastoni said his office was seeking advice from Wisnu, who is also a consultant to zoos throughout the country, to help catch and relocate the tigers away from human populations.

The BKSDA, he said, has also employed two marksmen to sedate the tigers and help with relocation efforts, as well as locals familiar with the jungle and trained to locate the animals.

"This is what we are trying to do. Conservation of these tigers is not the responsibility of BKSDA alone but the whole society," he said.


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Article about the Green School & more

Some memories with this Jakarta Globe article

Bamboo Helps Bali Village Stay in Step With Nature | The Jakarta Globe
Those looking for a luxury abode that couples cutting-edge style and environmental sensibility should look no further than the Green Village, located 25 minutes outside the arts community of Ubud.

Set on two hectares of land along the Agung river, the striking bamboo villas, each one unique, are designed to blend into the flow of the surrounding landscape.

While some of the homes have been constructed specifically for families who have children at the nearby eco-friendly Green School, other residents are attracted to Green Village and see it as a one-of-a-kind community that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

“We started construction of the first house in May 2010 and have since built seven houses, with the eight being constructed across the river,” says Elora Hardy, creative director at Ibuku, the team behind the Green Village and Green School. “All are privately owned, either as residences or holiday homes, and some are available for rent.”

The houses are certainly striking: the majority of them have multiple, open-plan living areas, and air-conditioned rooms with woven walls.

Yet their most characteristic feature is that they are made from more than 90 percent bamboo.

“We try to use bamboo as much as possible, for both construction and interior decoration because it is strong, flexible and beautiful,” says the Bali-raised Hardy, who traveled back to the island from New York to work on the project.

With its three-year growth cycle and carbon sequestration capacity, bamboo might just be the most environmentally friendly building material currently available.

“Bamboo grows plentifully in clumps, which grow new shoots each year. If not harvested, the bamboo will eventually disintegrate, making room for a new generation,” Hardy says, adding that the bamboo used for the construction of the Green Village comes from individual farmers in Bali and Java.

Hardy is committed to opening people’s minds to the viability of bamboo as a construction material, and in particular its application possibilities in a tropical climate.

“Bamboo shoots are flexible and strong, and great for low-income housing in earthquake-prone areas,” she says.

“I realize that right now we are concentrating on the luxury market, but hopefully we are also elevating the perception of bamboo and inspiring people to use it on all levels. Ultimately our greatest impact will be that it’s embraced as a versatile and affordable building material across Indonesia and the tropics.”

Those looking for a luxury abode that couples cutting-edge style and environmental sensibility should look no further than the Green Village, located 25 minutes outside the arts community of Ubud.

Set on two hectares of land along the Agung river, the striking bamboo villas, each one unique, are designed to blend into the flow of the surrounding landscape.

While some of the homes have been constructed specifically for families who have children at the nearby eco-friendly Green School, other residents are attracted to Green Village and see it as a one-of-a-kind community that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

“We started construction of the first house in May 2010 and have since built seven houses, with the eight being constructed across the river,” says Elora Hardy, creative director at Ibuku, the team behind the Green Village and Green School. “All are privately owned, either as residences or holiday homes, and some are available for rent.”

The houses are certainly striking: the majority of them have multiple, open-plan living areas, and air-conditioned rooms with woven walls.

Yet their most characteristic feature is that they are made from more than 90 percent bamboo.

“We try to use bamboo as much as possible, for both construction and interior decoration because it is strong, flexible and beautiful,” says the Bali-raised Hardy, who traveled back to the island from New York to work on the project.

With its three-year growth cycle and carbon sequestration capacity, bamboo might just be the most environmentally friendly building material currently available.

“Bamboo grows plentifully in clumps, which grow new shoots each year. If not harvested, the bamboo will eventually disintegrate, making room for a new generation,” Hardy says, adding that the bamboo used for the construction of the Green Village comes from individual farmers in Bali and Java.

Hardy is committed to opening people’s minds to the viability of bamboo as a construction material, and in particular its application possibilities in a tropical climate.

“Bamboo shoots are flexible and strong, and great for low-income housing in earthquake-prone areas,” she says.

“I realize that right now we are concentrating on the luxury market, but hopefully we are also elevating the perception of bamboo and inspiring people to use it on all levels. Ultimately our greatest impact will be that it’s embraced as a versatile and affordable building material across Indonesia and the tropics.”
“If a bamboo property is treated against insects and the design is right, bamboo houses should last generations. We treat the bamboo with a natural salt solution, and the treatment permanently protects it from insects,” she adds.

Once constructed, the villas require limited maintenance. Coating both structural and interior bamboo every three years will improve the villas’ appearance and durability. Hardy is hopeful that in the future further innovations will make the maintenance process even easier.

From the first bamboo structure to the move-in date, each villa takes from six months to two years to construct. The first step in the design process is getting the basic outline of the customer’s lifestyle and living requirements.

“While not all of the people who get into this do so because they feel strongly about the environment, all of them are creative, appreciate beauty and think outside the box,” Hardy says, adding that all of the current villa owners are based either in Asia or Australia.

A great deal of imagination is required in designing the interior of each villa. All the conventional items — water heaters, light switches, power points — are still necessary and, Hardy says, it can take an extra dose of creativity to make them unobtrusive in such as natural setting.

“We have to find solutions,” she says. “For instance, we have covered a fridge with bamboo, have placed baskets over water heaters and came up with stone taps.”

All of the furniture, most of it bamboo, is custom designed and often one-of-a-kind.

The signature round “moon” door is a striking example of incorporating an element of fantasy into a design. In fact, walking through it almost feels like you’re entering another dimension.

Another unique piece of furniture is a bed with a headboard fitted and curved bamboo columns that duct air-conditioning right onto the bed’s center.

“This is a new design. We are still testing it out but it should work once the bed is fitted with a mosquito net,” says Hardy, adding that she is planning to expand this part of the project into a furniture line.

Being a flexible material, bamboo is easy to combine with other materials. Stone, copper and brass have also been used in the construction, either for functional reasons or to complete a certain look.

“There is concrete in the foundations and the roof is made from bamboo shingles with aluminium lining,” Hardy says.

“We have used hand-hammered brass for shower bases and baths, as bamboo should not get wet when its inside, created walls out of banana fiber paper and installed stone counter tops made from slices from a huge boulder.”

While its not all about bamboo, the material clearly takes center stage at this innovative residential development. And with plenty of land still available, Hardy is hoping to continue expanding.

“As long as there are people interested in taking on this lifestyle, we will keep building.”


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