No. 53 January-March, 1998
Learning activity 1
Answer the following questions in English in the spaces provided.
1a. Where do the forest fires mentioned occur?
1b. What area of land has been destroyed?
1c. In what year were there other large fires?
1d. What area of land was destroyed then?
2. Why does Joko Waluyo (J.W.) say he felt as if he was in hell?
3. Why does J.W. so confidently say that the fires are not a natural disaster but caused by human activities?
4. In helping people affected by fires, what three things has Walhi focussed on?
5. According to J.W., in what two ways has the government tried to combat the fires?
6. According to J.W. what three measures should the governement take?
7. What two human activities are the main causes of the fires?
8. Who is usually blamed for the fires and why might that be so?
9. What proof is there that this group is not responsible?
10. Why is the burning off option chosen?
11. What are the two ways mentioned in the text, in which
the environment is affected by the fires?
12.
In the spaces write the number of hectares of land that have been burnt for each sector.
Sector
Number of hectares
a.
Large plantations
b.
Small farmers
c.
Conservation area
d.
New transmigration areas
e.
Peat areas
f.
Productive forest
g.
Total area
ANSWERS
