Dam dooms park

A PROPOSED dam in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, has raised a storm of protest, reports Dewi Sartika. The hydro-electric project is to be sited at Lore Lindu National Park, in Donggala Regency, about 200 km from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi.

Conservationists fear that the project will endanger the area's unique biological diversity as well as the indigenous Kaili tribe, and will dam the beautiful Lindu lake where the locals fish.

However, better sense might yet prevail. The Central Sulawesi governor, Aziz Lamadjito, says that if the locals reject the scheme, the project will be relocated at Poso, also in Central Sulawesi.