29

Indonesia’s
Environmental
Challenges

,
 30
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Indonesia’s Environmental Challenges

Comprising total area of 5.2 million sq km (1.9 million sq km of land and 3.3
sq km of ocean), Indonesia actually possesses abundance natural resource in
form of oil, natural gas, coal, precious metal, etc. Unfortunately, population of
230 million persons and poverty have burdened its environment and created
unsustainable development of the country.
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Unbalanced Indonesia’s Population Density

Further, unbalanced
population
distribution also
creates
overshooting of the
environment.

This worsens the

environmental
condition of Java
and Sumatra, such
as: uncontrolled
urbanisation, severe
resources depletion
(especially water
deficiency during
drought) and
excessive pollution.

Population Density of
Indonesia, 2000
(Source:
http://sedac.ciesin.org/wdc/map_
,, gallery.jsp) ,,
 32
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Indonesia’s Severe Rural Poverty

Although Indonesia's estimated

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
for 2007 reached US$408
billion (or US$1,038 billion
PPP); while estimated income
per capita was US$1,812 (or
US$4,616 income per capita
GDP PPP) (International
Monetary Fund., 2007 – World
Economic Outlook); but
poverty is still a major Indonesia’s GDP Growth and Investment
problems of the country. 2003 – 2007,
(year-on-year growth rate, percent)
(Source: BPS (Statistics Bureau)
It was estimated approximately
49.0% of the population live
on less than US$2 per day and
unemployment rate reached
9.75% (World Bank Press
Release, 2006 - Making the
New Indonesia Work for the
Poor).

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 33
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Indonesia’s Severe Rural Poverty (2)

And most of the poor population
worked in the agriculture and
fishery sectors which comprised
44.5 % workforce but only
contributed for 14% of GDP.

On the other hand, the service

and industrial sector contributed
the 45.3% and 40.7% of the GDP
with 36.9% and 18.85%
workforce from total 95 million-
strong workforce.

(Economic and Social Commission for Asia & the

Pacific, 2004; World Bank, 2006 - "Indonesia at a
Glance")

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 34
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Indonesia’s Deforestation
Because of severe poverty in
the rural area, weak
environmental protection,
corruption; extensive
deforestation has happened
since 1950s.

In 1998, it was reported that

forty percent of the forests,
which was reported in 1950,
had been cleared (from 162
million ha forest, only 98
million ha forest left).

Other reports showed that

1,708,750 to 1,871,500 ha
of forests could be
deforested annually.
(WRI et all. (2002) - State of the Forest
Indonesia; WRI et all. (2000) - Trial by
Fire; FAO Global Forest Resources
Assessment 2005)

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 35
Process of Forest Degradation and Deforestation in
,, ,,

Indonesia
(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)

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 36
Natural Forest Cover Change in Indonesia, between 1985 –
,, ,,

1997

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(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)
 37
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Extent and Distribution of Logging Concessions

,, ,,
(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)
 38
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Limited Reported Cases of Illegal Logging, 1997-1998

,, ,,
(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)
 39
Forest Cover and 1997-1998 Forest Fires in Western
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Indonesia
(Sources: WRI et all., 2000 - Trial by Fire, Forest)

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 40
Extent of Deforestation in Borneo 1950-2005 and Projection
,, ,,

towards 2020
(Sources: http://duenos.net)

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 41
Forest Area and Deforestation, 1985 – 1997
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(Government of Indonesia and World Bank Estimates)

(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)

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 42
,, Forest Area and Deforestation, 1985 – 1997 ,,

(Global Forest Watch Estimates)

(Sources: WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia)

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 43
Example of Land Clearing and Fire on a Site in Central
,, ,,

Kalimantan May 1995 – July 1997

Landsat Image of (Sources: WRI et all., 2000
- Trial by Fire, Forest)
Dadahup Area in
Central Kalimantan 10
May 1996, Green Areas
are Peat Swamp Forest

Dadahup Area in flames

Dadahup Area on 29
29 July 1997
May 1997, Clearcutting
of the peat swamp
forest and construction
are shown in red
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 44
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Indonesia’s Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss

While 147 species of

mammals (including
orangutan, tiger,
rhinoceros, and
elephant), 114 birds,
28 reptiles, 91 fishes
and 28 invertebrates
had become extinct
in the process.

Biotic Richness: Percent of

World’s Species
Found in Indonesia

(WRI et all. (2002) - State of the

Forest Indonesia;
WRI et all. (2000) - Trial by Fire;
FAO Global Forest Resources ,,
,,
Assessment 2005)
 45
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Deforestation and Loss of Biodiversity

The extensive deforestation also
reduced of biodiversity richness in
Indonesia. There are 3 main centres
of species richness in Indonesia,
which are Irian Jaya (with high
species richness and endemism),
Kalimantan (with high species
richness but moderate endemism),
and Sulawesi (with moderate species
richness and high endemism).
So Indonesia’s biodiversity was
affected due to the unsustainable
land development

(WRI et all., 2002 - State of the Forest Indonesia; Wallace Line Showing Indonesian Endemic Biodiversity
WRI et all., 2000 - Trial by Fire). (Sources: http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/history/images/wallacefig1_big.jpg)

Kalimantan Forest Sulawesi Forest Papua Forest

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