Two Million Hectares of Indonesian Forest Destroyed Each Year
14 May 2014 15:58 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Forest damages in Indonesia have reached an alarming level. Matthew C. Hansen, a forest researcher from Maryland University, released a data showing the destruction rate of forests in Indonesia, which has reached two million hectares every year. According to Matthew, severe deforestation occurred throughout 2011 to 2012. He added that last year, 2 million hectares of Indonesian forest have been cleared.
The study, which is also published in the Science Journal, mentioned that throughout 2001 to 2013, Indonesia had lost 15.8 million hectares of forest areas. Matthew, said that the conditions that are occuring in Indonesia, is the opposite of what has been happening in Brazil. "Brazil is capable of suppressing the rate of deforestation from 4 million hectares in 2003 to just under 2 million hectares in the last two years," said Matthew. The deforestation of forests in Indonesia prone to increase from 1 million hectares in 2003 to 2 million hectares in 2012.
Zensi Suhadi, Members of the Advocacy Department at the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), supported Matthew's discovery and the Ministry of Forestry's concern regarding the high rate of deforestation. "In Riau and Central Kalimantan, the numbers are high due to the out-of-control issuance of oil palms and industrial permits," he said.
RAYMUNDUS RIKANG R.W
