Bambang Soed, Medan – The World Bank predicts that Sumatra will no longer have dense forest areas by 2004. This dire prediction is based on the high 2.5 percent level of destruction taking place on that island.

Executive Director of International Conservation in Indonesia, Jatna Supriatna, said that the World Bank had announced this in 2000. "As predicted, there are only 15 million hectares of forest left in Sumatra due to extensive deforestation.

Meanwhile in Java, there may be less than one million hectares of forest areas left. And those areas may well be damaged," Jatna said in a discussion held at Novotel Soechi Hotel, Medan, today.

Jatna revealed that the destruction of the forest areas is one factor causing the recent flash flood in Medan and other cities in North Sumatra. For the same reason, some areas in Java were also inundated by flood. "Because the forest areas are destroyed, there are no longer water catchment areas. This means the hydrologic function of the forests is not working," Jatna said. Jatna cited the example of the flooding which Jakarta recently because of the overflow of the Citarum and Cisadane rivers, which originate from the Gunung Gede, Pangrango, and Halimun National Parks in the mountainous Puncak area. But these areas, which should have been water catchment areas, are now destroyed by the construction of hundreds villas. "About 5000 villas are illegally built in those areas. Only 1000 villas are legal," he said.