Indonesia wants to be paid $US5-$US20 ($A5.50-$A22.20) per hectare not to destroy its remaining forests, the environment minister says, for the first time giving an actual figure that he wants the world’s rich countries to pay.

Participants from 189 countries are expected to gather in Bali for global climate talks at a UN-led summit in December.

They will hear a report on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation (RED) - a new scheme that aims to make emission cuts from forest areas eligible for global carbon trading.

But apart from carbon trading, Indonesia also wants big emitters such as the United States and the European Union to pay the country to preserve its pristine rainforests.

“We will ask for a compensation of $5-20 per hectare. It’s not fixed; it is open to negotiation,” Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar told reporters after a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace.

With a total forest area of 91 million ha (225 million acres), Indonesia could receive as much as $US1.8 billion ($A2.01 billion) for preserving its forests under the proposal.

Indonesia will also negotiate a fixed price for other forms of biodiversity, including coral reefs, Witoelar added.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Indonesia-demands-cash-for-conservation/2007/10/08/1191695827771.html