Rainforest Damage

Indonesia is one of worst countries in the world for deforestation of rainforest. The Rainforest Foundation plans for reforestation combined with eco developments that will help protect and regrow the Indonesian Rainforest . The Foundation will work with landowners and other environment groups to protect the forests from illegal and destructive logging by reforestation programs and provide active employment of the local inhabitants

Greenpeace says that between 2000 and 2005 Indonesia had the fastest rate of deforestation in the world, destroying an area the equivalent to 300 soccer fields every hour. Greenpeace has successfully applied to the Guinness Book of World Records to have Indonesia’s status as the world Number One in rainforest deforestation acknowledged in the 2008 edition of the Book Greenpeace says that the citation in the 2008 Guinness World Records will read:

“Of the 44 countries which collectively account for 90% of the world’s forests, the country which pursues the highest annual rate of deforestation is Indonesia with 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) of forest destroyed each year between 2000-2005; a rate of 2% annually or 51 square km (20 square miles) destroyed every day”

Greenpeace says that Indonesia’s rate of forest destruction also makes the country the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution after the United States and China because some scientists say that up to 25% of greenhouse gas emissions comes from tropical forest clearance
Large-scale commercial logging threatens to cut through Indonesia's last intact forest, in Irian Jaya or Papua due to large-scale commercial logging.

"A handful of companies have wiped out much of Indonesia's forests. They must be stopped from finishing off our last intact forests in Papua. The Indonesian government must put in place a moratorium on large-scale commercial logging activities in the intact forest landscapes of Indonesia, starting with Papua, until national and local forestry policies have been reviewed, proper landscape planning has been conducted and a significant increase in protected areas have been established," said Emmy Hafild, Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Figures from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry show that at the end of 2005, the government has already granted Hak Pengusahaan Hutan (HPH) or logging concessions on 11.6 million hectares of forests in Papua to 65 logging companies

"More than a quarter of the forests in Papua have been sold off to logging companies. Each of these concessions (HPH) last between 20 to 30 years. If the Indonesian government does nothing to stop logging concessions, soon all of our forests will be gone," said Christian Poerba, Executive Director of Forest Watch Indonesia.

Much of the large intact forest landscapes in the Paradise Forests of Asia Pacific have already been cut down -- 72% in Indonesia and 60% in Papua New Guinea - fuelled by demand for cheap timber by Japan, the US, the EU and China. In Papua New Guinea, the situation is desperate where 57% of intact forest landscapes are also covered by logging concessions.

Greenpeace recently released groundbreaking satellite maps which reveal that the world's forests are in critical condition. The maps provide evidence that less than 10% of the Earth's land area remains as large intact forest areas. New Guinea Island (Papua and PNG), or what is now being called the 'Garden of Eden', contains the largest remaining area of intact forest in the Asia Pacific region.

"These maps provide new, important evidence to governments of the need to improve ancient forest protection all over the world, and in particular here, where the forests are being cut down faster than any other on Earth," said Ms Hafild.

Rain forests create their own mini-climates as the water that evaporates from the rainforest forms clouds above the rainforest area. It will later falls as rain in another location. Not all of the water stays local but in the Amazon rain forest, 50-80% of the water remains in the local ecosystem's water cycle. When rain forests are cut down, much of the moisture in the ecosystem is lost, leading to droughts and further devastation of species.

Problems of Biofuel

Indonesia plans to become the world's largest producer of biofuel from Palm oil production from palm oil trees
This so called ecological redevelopment will accelerate the deforestation process as biofuel is considered environmentally friendly for the environment.
However in Indonesia, rainforest land is slashed and burnt to create space for planting new oil palms trees. Also companies prefer to slash and burn more forest for the purpose of planting palms than to use already cleared land.

More carbon dioxide is actually emitted in this process than is spared by using the eco-friendly fuel by this process.
The Foundation will replant some devastated plan tree plantations wherever possible.

Source: www.indonesianrainforest.org