Deforestation in Indonesia spiked last year – but data analysis suggests better overall trend
- Expansion of nickel industry is driving deforestation in Indonesia, home to the world’s third-largest rainforest
- Resources analyst suggests deforestation on a massive scale seems to be shrinking, compared to the past
From trees felled in protected national parks to massive swathes of jungle razed for palm oil and paper plantations, Indonesia had a 27 per cent uptick in primary forest loss in 2023 from the previous year, according to a World Resources Institute analysis of deforestation data. But the loss is still seen as historically low compared to the 2010s, it said.
“Deforestation has been declining from six or so years ago, when there were peak rates,” said Rod Taylor, global director of the forests programme at WRI. “It’s good news and commendable for Indonesia.”
The latest data from the University of Maryland’s Global Land Analysis and Discovery laboratory was shared on Global Forest Watch – a platform run by WRI that provides data, technology and tools for monitoring the world’s forests.
A vast tropical archipelago stretching across the equator, Indonesia is home to the world’s third-largest rainforest, with a variety of endangered wildlife and plants, including orangutans, elephants and giant forest flowers. Some live nowhere else.