With 17,000 islands and a biodiversity second only to Brazil, Indonesia stands to lose a great deal from environmental degradation and the impacts of global warming.

Experts agree Indonesia is facing an environmental crisis which is threatening to undermine the social and economic fabric of this great nation.

But there is arguably insufficient concern among ordinary Indonesians who are all too ignorant about the scale of the problem.

And if they do understand the gravity of the situation, they don't know what to do about it.

The UN climate conference in Bali helped to raise awareness, but people generally seem to think the environment is an international challenge and has little to do with Indonesia.

Public attitudes in this country must change if there is to be any chance of averting a real crisis.

The government is not doing nearly enough and is unlikely to take all of the necessary steps without public pressure.

Politicians need to know ordinary people care and want to see new measures being introduced to remedy growing problems.

While there are many steps individuals can take to help protect our fragile environment, the single most valuable contribution is to demand more action from our leaders.

With an election not far away, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must be given a clear message voters will no longer stand for environmental inertia.

When people ask me what can be done to save Indonesia's rich biodiversity and improve water and air quality, I say they must make this an election issue.

Tell those who are running this country that you are worried about the state of the environment.

Indeed, there is much to worry about. But there are solutions.

Air pollution is one of the country's most severe environmental problems and a serious health issue.

Jakarta is the world's eighth most polluted city. The number of cars on Indonesia's roads has doubled in the past decade.

Despite the phasing-out of leaded gasoline, the concentration of health-comprising particulate matter is high, as are the levels of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbon, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Forest fires also contribute to Indonesia's air pollution. Much more has to be done to stop illegal logging and to educate farmers about the damage caused by slashing and burning.

Indonesia's water quality is deteriorating. One of the most serious problems is the lack of sewage systems in urban areas with the country ranking among the worst in Asia in sanitation coverage.

With many factories disposing of their waste directly into rivers and canals, there is significant contamination of Indonesia's surface and groundwater, as well as repeated epidemics of gastrointestinal infections.

Many factories continue to dump hazardous waste into rivers without treatment.

Uncontrolled use of agricultural chemicals has led to damage of water resources in Indonesia's farmlands.

Coastal waters are highly polluted, especially in high traffic areas such as the Malacca and Lombok Straits.

Unsustainable fishing practices, industrial effluent, sewage and agricultural discharges also have placed ecosystems around Indonesia's reefs in jeopardy.

And due to a lack of sustainable land management, Indonesia is the third largest emitter of climate damaging greenhouse gases.

Government plans to further expand will further increase these emissions.

Development of renewable energy must be increased through fiscal incentives. Indonesia is way behind China and India, where policies to encourage renewable sources are proving to be successful.

Existing environmental laws in Indonesia are generally considered to be good.

But more progressive measures are required. Much needs to be done to improve law enforcement which is generally poor.

Officials are often unwilling or unable to ensure important protective practices are carried out, with too few environmental offenders being prosecuted.

Many government ministers leaped at the opportunity to be seen and heard at the Bali climate conference.

I heard impressive speeches from ministers of finance, trade, forestry and environment.

And the president spoke with much passion about the need for greater environmental protection.

Now the people of Indonesia must hold this government to account.

As President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration enters its final year in office, before the next election, the people of this country must speak up about their strong desire for a cleaner and greener Indonesia.

The fight to save our environment can be won.

Now is the time for People Power.

Jonathan Wootliff is an independent sustainable development consultant specializing in the building of productive relationships between companies and NGOs. He can be contacted at jonathan@wootliff.com

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