Balang Bridge destroying Balikpapan Bay Ecosystems

Construction  bridge Balang Island destroying assessed  to Balikpapan Bay area and Sungai Wain Protection Forest in East Kalimantan. The government suggested to move the location of the project to other regions.
The destruction of the environment of both regions was revealed in the workshop on "Safety Status of Biodiversity in East Kalimantan" in Campus Mulawarman, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday (22 / 5) then.

Balang Islands Government to build bridges in order to connect the North and the District Penajam Paser-restricted Balikpapan Bay. The bridge is expected to strengthen economic and social relations the two regions. During these two regions to achieve it must use the ferry with a travel time of one hour.

Stanislav Lhota, a researcher at the University of South Bohemia Republic of Chechnya, who became speaker in the workshop, said that a number of mangrove trees on the island and coastal bay Balang Penajam and Balikpapan forced to cut for construction of a bridge pillar. Something similar happened in Sungai Wain Protection Forest in Balikpapan. "The project was destructive," said Lhota disappointed.

Lhota since 2006, examines the lives of primates and wildlife in the Bay of Balikpapan and Sungai Wain Protection Forest.

Another speaker, Chief of the Regional Technical Implementation Unit Development of Nature Conservation in East Kalimantan Forest Service Heranata Widi Wahyu, acknowledge the environmental damage caused by the construction of the bridge. However, extensive damage has not been recorded.

Head of Research Center for Tropical Forest Boer Mulawarman Chandradewana deplores the destruction of ecosystems. According to him, it was due to the attitude that the government was reluctant to consider the suggestion academics, researchers and environmental activists.

Obstructed

Bridge project is running since early 2007, but faltered due to lack of funding. The plan is built in a two-span bridge. Short span of 500 meters connecting the mainland and the island Penajam Balang. The 1200 meter long span linking the island and the mainland of Balikpapan.

Access roads needed along 100 kilometers, but now everything has not been built. The road will split the mangrove area and the Sungai Wain Protection Forest in Balikpapan and mangrove forests in Penajam.

According to Boer, such a government plan also triggered by the encroachment of the mangrove community. "The government should cancel the construction of bridges and access roads, but to optimize the ferry-Penajam Kariangau," he said.

Lhota added, very regrettable if the Bay is over and damaged. "People will lose biodiversity that are still alive, like the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus), Irrawaddy Dolphin Bay (Orcaella brevirostris), monkeys, a variety of fish and birds, and various types of plants," he reminded