Status & Future of Rainforests

Protected Areas in Indonesia's Rainforests

In the early 1980's, the Indonesian government began to apply and strengthen its nature conservation policies to create and form the foundation for Indonesia's current national parks system. This movement was largely influenced by the UNDP/FAO National Parks Development Project, the first Environmental Management Act, and the third Worlds Park Congress held in Bali in 1982, which pressured the various governmental departments into taking action. (6)

This lead to the development of various protected areas in large regions of Indonesia, such as Sumatra, and the formation of national parks, such as the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park and Gunung Leuser National Park.. These forest areas were to be preserved for watersheds, conservation or limited production. Unfortunately, despite the government's attempts, massive deforestation continued to occur.

Source: www.sumatranforest.org

Due to unfair nepotism and corruption within the government, much of Indonesia's lands were given as concessions or sold in business deals to large business operations. Businessmen, government officials, politicians and workers have gained large sums of money for the deforestation, urbanization and construction in the rainforests. Illegal logging grows rampant as the rainforests continue to be taken over by plantations and factories. Therefore, it has been difficult to prevent the rapid loss of these forests in Indonesia.

Future of the Rainforests

Fortunately for these Indonesian rainforests, massive attention has been directed towards these areas due to its high levels of biodiversity and its role as home for many endangered species.

Hundred of millions of dollars have been generated in international causes in support of preservation and conservation of these rainforests. Awareness is being spread due to the help of organizations such as Greenpeace International, Rainforest Action Network, the Indonesian Rainforest Foundation, RSPB, and more.

Many documentaries have been made to spread awareness of the rapid loss of rainforests that have occurred in Indonesia.

Fortunately, in recent years, efforts have been made to implement a new model for protected area management, particularly in Indonesia. Due to the efforts of conservation-focused entrepreneurs and businessmen, Sukianto Lusli, Agus Budi Utomo and Yusup Cahyadin, the Harapan Rainforest on the island of Sumatra has become the first and only operational restoration program in Indonesia. This system has proven to be beneficial for protecting threatened habitats, restoring biodiversity and supplementing the existing network of protected areas of these rainforests. Indonesia is currently in the process of developing 40 additional areas to this framework. (8)

Photo of Harapan Rainforest. Source: www.indonesien.um.dk