Deforestation In Indonesia

By Cynthia Li and Aaliyah Khan

Indonesia used to be 80% covered in forest with the 3rd largest tropical rainforest in the world, acting as a biodiversity hotspot. Indonesia is home to 10%-15% of the living organisms in the world and is home to many rare species. Indonesia also has the largest deforestation rate in the world.

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Palm oil deforestation

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world. Companies drain the Indonesian forests to create palm oil plantations. Once drained they become easily flammable and incredibly hard to control. This has resulted in huge forests fires that release staggering amounts of greenhouse gases. Deforestation has made Indonesia one of the top emitters of greenhouse gases in the WORLD, alongside US and China. Researchers estimate that the 2015 Indonesian forest fires caused 100,000 premature deaths. The World Bank estimates the cost to be $16 billion USD.

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Illegal logging for pulp and paper

In Indonesia, forests are also cleared for pulp and paper companies, a third of these operations are illegal pulp and paper deforestation. Two major deforestation companies, Asia Pulp and Paper and APRIL are responsible for a lot of deforestation in Indonesia as well as human right abuses. In 2018, Greenpeace uncovered a major illegal logging operation in a critical orangutan habitat. Many companies have pledged to work towards zero deforestation, but progress has been slow. Over a MILLION hectares are estimated to be lost each year. Only half of the original forest coverage remains and is decreasing every day.

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So, did you know...

1) After a ton of changes, deforestation rates are finally reducing. Statistics from Global Forest Watch show a 40% decrease in deforestation within the primary forests in Indonesia. The amount of hectares deforested in 2018 was 440,000 compared to 480,000 in 2017. It’s clear to see that progress is being made, but the problem is no where near gone.

2) The Indonesian government has begun taking action to slow down the incredible rates of deforestation in their country. New policies and a strengthened law enforcement has resulted in the positive trends we see today. One of the most effective policies is the Moratorium policy that has banned the clearing of peatland and primary forests. Numbers show that this policy has created a 45% drop in deforestation, which is why it is great that the Indonesian government plans to make this policy PERMANENT. Additionally, 20.4 million hectares of degraded land has been restored, which is a major step in the right direction.

3) There is STILL work to be done. Despite a handful of positive trends, some key provinces are still seeing increases in deforestation. Together these provinces contain nearly one-third of the country’s primary forest-a crucially important ecosystem containing trees that could be hundreds or even thousands of years old. These trees contain more carbon than most forests, and are considered irreplaceable.

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How Can We Help?

Indonesia has the largest deforestation rate in the world and the 3rd largest tropical rainforest. In order to end deforestation, dramatic steps are necessary.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Do your part at home

-Plant trees: Although many of these forests are far away from where we live, planting trees locally will assist in preserving wildlife and reducing climate change. The ecosystem is one huge interconnected web, so any actions will help in the long term.

-Use less paper: Deforestation in Indonesia is economically driven by the pulp, paper and palm oil industry. Using less paper for school, work, using recycled paper and using reusable cloths instead of paper are all ways you can help. COVID-19 has resulted in many things going digital, so this is a very realistic goal to work towards.

-Mindful consumerism: Buy from companies who are committed to reducing deforestation. Don’t buy palm oil products and only buy what you will use. By choosing how we spend our money, we directly influence the market and those in power to go eco-friendly

2. Raise awareness

-Generate discussion by talking to your friends and family. Support initiatives that are working to fight deforestation. Youth who are too young to volunteer can try starting clubs at their school that raises awareness or funds for these organizations. Here are a few:

Amazon Watch

Canadian Forestry Association

Rainforest Action Network

Rainforest Alliance

Trees for the Future

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There is hope! Indonesia is one of the few tropical nations that reduced deforestation in recent years (by 60% from 2016 to 2017!). Norway and Indonesia have made a results based agreement where Norway will provide financial incentive for Indonesia to preserve its forests. It’s clear to see that this giant issue is starting to get some attention from the government, and some positive changes are being put into place. But, these is still so much work to be done to restore the forests as effectively as possible.