The document discusses deforestation in Indonesia and its impacts. It notes that while deforestation has provided some economic benefits like increased revenue and employment, the environmental and social costs outweigh these benefits. Deforestation has negatively impacted Indonesia's forests and biodiversity, disrupted the climate and water cycles, and harmed local communities. However, alternatives exist that could generate revenue for Indonesia without relying on deforestation, such as carbon credits and ecotourism. While difficult, reducing deforestation would help ensure Indonesia's sustainable growth and development.

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SukYoung Cho
Period 3 TSEA
Deforestation in Indonesia: The Road Not Taken
Ronald Reagan once quoted “trees, how many of „em do we need to look at?”.
Countries such as Indonesia have their total forest area represented by 84% of their total
land area. Furthermore, the Indonesia archipelago of about 17,000 islands is the home to
some of the most biodiverse forests in the world. Although it may seem that the world
has plenty of forests and wildlife, at present rates of deforestation, tropical rainforests in
countries such as Indonesia would be logged out by 2020. Countries other than
Indonesia, will also suffer from deforestation if people believe that the benefits of
deforestation outweighs its costs. Even though deforestation in Indonesia has lead to
increased revenue and employment; the negative consequences of social troubles, loss
of potential income, and environmental concerns offsets the benefits; therefore,
activities leading to deforestation should be halted.
The start of deforestation in Indonesia has gradually become one of the main
sources of revenue for the country. Unfortunately, deforestation in tropical countries is
often driven by the economic thought that “forests are worth more dead than alive”
(Clough). For example, forest products exports in developing countries in 1994 were
$114 billion (Butler). The success of logging in Indonesia has been significant for the
country, so the country has no choice but to continuously export its natural heritage
(Environmental). Therefore, the governments of many other countries ironically
encourage businesses to start illegal logging (Background). Countries can benefit from
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lumber products, which are staple construction materials; without lumber it would be
hard for to live, which brings its success (Clough). There are many reasons why
deforestation is a reliable source of revenue for a country. The UNFCC Conference of
Parties, recently reported that the financial gains generate by logging has been
significant over the last 10-20 years of Southeast Asia (Clough). Deforestation in
developing countries such as Indonesia can be beneficial because it can provide access
to other natural resources, hidden within the forests land; for instance, iron ore, minerals,
etc). Without the effective role of deforestation on Indonesia, the country would be
devastated and be further behind in the market.
On the other hand, there are potential financial benefits that could help increase
revenue for Indonesia, without the logging of the environment. Some countries believe
that “forests are worth more dead than alive” (Clough), however new studies by an
international association of researchers reported that the market for carbon credits has
potential to alter the thought that deforestation is the only path. Carbon credit is a
license that permits the owner to emit one ton of carbon dioxide; these licenses are
awarded to countries or associations, when they have reduced their green house gas
below the emission standards. This market helps hault deforestation, while increasing
revenue; however, there will be countries remaining deforestation, which will ultimately
result in a loss of revenue for the governments (Environmental). For instance, The
World Bank predicts that governments worldwide lose about $5 billion in revenue per
year for illegal logging, while timber-producing countries lose another $10 billion per
year (Butler). Deforestation could also negatively affect an economy because the actions
influence ecotourism; when people travel to visit eco-sites, which brings billions of
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dollars per year (Butler). Recently, tourists‟ levels in Singapore, Malaysia, and
Indonesia have dropped due to the smog created by forest fires. Another way to recover
the consequences of deforestation is to market non-wood products such as nuts, fruits,
etc. In 1996, the income of non-wood products was estimated to be around $90 billion
(Butler).
The governments in developing countries such as Indonesia approve of
deforestation/illegal logging because the market provides unlimited amounts of
employment to society. Because the forest based product market is high in Indonesia,
the amount of people employed is also high. For example, palm oil is now considered a
major source of income for Indonesia; which is why more than 3.5 million people are
employed (Environmental). Without this business, the locals of the country would be
jobless, and without a future. The consequences are higher than the consequences of
deforestation; without the employment, the governments‟ income would drastically drop
and put the country in a panic state. Other than palm oil, the country‟s people work as
wood cutters, and processing plants to make glue. It is clearly noticeable that in a
country like Indonesia, the hault of deforestation could severely hurtful. Society as a
whole would suffer if millions of Indonesian workers were to suddenly be jobless.
There have been several questions to workers, asked if they would rather work
somewhere else with better conditions? In which the locals mostly answer that there is
nowhere else to go, and they are thankful to even have a chance to work in deforestation
sectors. The wood-product industry provides great advantages to a country, and will be
difficult to hault.
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Alternatively, the effects of deforestation do not only help employ the locals in
Indonesia, but unfortunately, destroys their social lives. While destroyed wildlife could
help as a livestock, and plantation, the removal of trees without sufficient reforestation
(restore), has resulted in negative impacts such as damage to villages and the health of
innocent people. Without the proper treatment of the forests, soil erosions occur and
destroy villages of innocent families, leaving no trace. In addition, business‟s aim to
employ the poorer people lured from villages and deprived neighborhoods. The business
does this to reduce costs in salary, treatment, etc. There are many well-known incidents
of human right abuses; when workers are put to work in barbaric conditions, sometimes
even at gunpoint and without escape. Children are forced to work in unbelievable job
shifts, with very less pay; if employees are sick, there is no care, and are abandoned and
replaced.
Indonesia has benefited from the income of deforestation; however, the
environmental costs greatly outweigh any other benefits. In the 1900s, Indonesia‟s
forest was still dense, covering 84% of the total land area. However, illegal logging was
introduced, and the associated illegal trade directly started threatening the ecosystem
and biodiversity in forests throughout the world including Indonesia (Background).
From then on, the impact of deforestation on the Indonesian environment became severe.
The loss of wildlife in Indonesia includes habitat loss for endangered species; such as
the Sumatran Rhino and the Orangutans (Environmental). These species had their
traditional habitat destroyed, and had no other choice but to live carefully among the
human population (Butler). Moreover, if developing countries such as Indonesia further
develop their economies with the help of illegal logging/deforestation, then they will
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continue to deplete their forest supply (Butler). For instance, during 2000 and 2005, the
UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimate that Indonesia lost about 1.87 million
hectare of forest each year; over 5 years logging caused Indonesia to lose forests the
size of Portugal (Environmental). Another issue considered is drastic climate change
due to the severe changes in forest population. In the water cycle, rain clouds are
formed by moisture transpired from the land below; however, deforestation causes the
amount of moisture to reduce therefore resulting in less rain (Butler). The locals of
Indonesia greatly rely on the supply of rain, so if the cycle is stopped or reduced, there
will be great costs. Not only does deforestation cause rain shortage,, but with forest
logging, the Indonesian community loses the system that ensures standard flow of
healthy water and the protection of floods and droughts (Butler). Deforestation causes
floods and droughts because; the forest acts as a sponge during rainfall; soaking up the
water brought by storms and releasing the collected water at regular distances (Butler).
Without this system, the rainfall rapidly flows into rivers: increasing water level (Local).
Without the secure natural system of forests, the social lives of the locals could be
greatly impacted.
The reduction of deforestation, could ensure Indonesia‟s growth in other ways.
The costs of climate change, loss of potential income, and environmental concerns
outweighs the minor benefits of deforestation: increased government revenue and
employment. The arguments clearly show that deforestation should not be the road
taken; many countries such as Indonesia have realized the consequences and plan on
changing their actions. For example, through the Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation (REDD), Norway has promised to give Indonesia up to one billion dollars
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to suggest the half of deforestation. The Indonesian government has also been acting
towards this, in January 2011; the government is going to begin a two-year ban on
deforestation/illegal logging. Forests and wildlife certainly deserve more because “a
people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost
as helpless”, Theodore Roosevelt.
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Work Cited
"Background Information on Indonesia, Deforestation and Illegal Logging." ABC.net.au.
Web. 22 Nov. 2010.
Butler, Rhett A. “Destruction of Renewable Resources.” Mongabay.com / A Place Out
of Time: Tropical Rainforests and the Perils They Face. 9 January 2006.
Butler, Rhett A. "Impact of Deforestation - Local and National Effects." Rainforests.
Mongobay, 9 Jan. 2006. Web. 16 Dec. 2010.
Clough, Greg. "Report Finds Deforestation Offers Very Little Money Compared to
Potential Financial Benefits." EurekAlert! - Science News. 3 Dec. 2007. Web. 16
Dec. 2010.
"WWF - Environmental Problems in Indonesia." WWF - WWF. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.
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