§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development which environmental projects her Department supports in Indonesia. [116541]
§ Mr. FoulkesThe importance of environmental protection and sustainable management in Indonesia cannot be denied. They are essential if poverty is to be eliminated.
Illegal logging, land clearing and forest fires, habitat loss and haze are among the problems focusing the environment and which ultimately affect poor people's livelihoods. These issues pose a very significant threat to the environment as deforestation continues at an alarming rate.
We intend to help tackle these problems but as part of a collective effort with the international community to facilitate Indonesian solutions to Indonesian problems. The result should be a programme that helps Indonesia to manage forests more equitably and sustainably, giving poor people a greater share of the benefits.