Indonesia Grapples with Deforestation: A Single Day Records Fire Incident in West Kalimantan

Indonesia Grapples with Deforestation: A Single Day Records Fire Incident in West Kalimantan

In a recent development, Indonesia has reported a fire incident in the West Kalimantan region, underscoring the ongoing challenges the country faces with deforestation and environmental degradation. Over the past two decades, Indonesia has experienced significant tree cover loss, with the total area affected surpassing 24 million hectares, which represents a decrease of approximately 2.62% in tree cover. Notably, the drivers of this loss have been identified as shifting agriculture, forestry activities, and urbanization.

Shifting agriculture alone has accounted for a loss of tens of thousands of hectares each year, with forestry activities contributing even more significantly to the overall deforestation rates. Urbanization, while having a smaller footprint in terms of area, still plays a notable role in the reduction of tree cover. The cumulative effect of these activities has led to a net loss of over 4 million hectares of tree cover, despite some gains from reforestation efforts.