Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is defending the authorities against accusations of deforestation saying forests in the flood-devastated area of Wasior in West Papua are still well preserved.
Environmentalists insist the fatal flash floods in Wasior district were caused by environmental degradation in the area.
But after touring the area, President Yudhoyono concluded the deadly flash floods in the region last week were not due to illegal logging as had been alleged.
He said he had seen the forests in the Wasior region.
Earlier, the Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said it was impossible that the floods were caused by illegal logging because the district was classified as a reserve.
Nearly 150 people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands of homes were damaged when torrential rains triggered landslides in Wasior
