Case Study: Deforestation in Kalimantan, Indonesia

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

INCREASE IN DEMAND
FOR AGRICULTURE FOR
LANDUSE

New settlers cultivate crops
in small holdings while 
plantation owners grow oil palm 
over extensive areas in the rainforest

New settlers cultivate crops
in small holdings while
plantation owners grow oil palm
over extensive areas in the rainforests.

GROWTH OF
SETTLEMENTS

Settlements enroach into
forests and cause 
deforestation.

Settlements enroach into
forests and cause
deforestation.

MINING

Precious stones and minerals
are extracted from the
ground beneath the 
rainforests.

Precious stones and minerals
are extracted from the
ground beneath the
rainforests.

IMPROVED
TRANSPORT
NETWORKS

Transport networks cut through forests and connect them to other settlements.

Transport networks cut through forests and connect them to other settlements.

ATTEMPTS AT
MANAGING RAINFORESTS
IN KALIMANTAN

Controlling forest
fires

Controlling forest
fires

- Indonesian govt
made it illegal
to clear land using
fire.
-
Govt monitors the
occurence of forest
fires.
- Govt also runs
campaigns
to discourage
people
from burning
forests.

Limitations:
- DESPITE the
law against burning
forests,
people still
continue to use fire to
clear land.

Controlled Logging

Controlled Logging

- Severe
penalties enforced
- Prevent
damage from
logging, selective
cutting
introduced to
prevent trees not
commercially valuable
from being logged

Limitations:
- Selective cutting
caused the same
amount of damage as
clear cutting

Afforestation
and Reforestation

Afforestation
and Reforestation

- Restore forests
- Teak is planted:
-> BECAUSE it is
valuable
-> AND grows quickly

Limitations:
- Original biodiversity
is lost
- Replanted trees cannot
support the original
biodiversity
- MAY NOT successful
without people's active
participation

Conservation

Conservation

- Forests are being
conserved and
reserved
- Set aside as nature reserves
(e.g. Betung Kerihun Nature Reserve)
- where activites that do not
damage the forest environment,
such as ecotourism, are
allowed & encouraged

Limitations:
- ALTHOUGH
nature reserves
set up to protect the
forests, illegal logging
activity could still be detected.
- Illegal logging hard to be detected
BECAUSE:
-> Lack of manpower
-> Vastness of nature reserve
-> Remoteness of logging site