Deforestation in Indonesia: 1990-2017

According to World Resources Institute (WRI) data, Indonesia was among the top 10 countries with the highest rates of tropical rainforest loss in 2018. That year, Indonesia lost 339,888 hectares (ha) of primary tropical rainforest, ranking third after Brazil (1.35 million ha) and Congo (481,248 ha). The expansion of palm oil plantations, forest fires, and the conversion of forest land for settlements were the main drivers of deforestation.

Indonesia has been measuring deforestation rates since 1990. The highest deforestation rate was recorded between 1996 and 2000, reaching 3.51 million ha/year. This comprised 2.83 million ha of forest areas and 0.68 million ha of non-forest areas. Severe forest fires were a major contributing factor to this high deforestation rate, with impacts felt even in neighboring countries.

The second-highest deforestation rate in Indonesia occurred between 2014 and 2015, totaling 1.09 million ha, consisting of 0.82 million ha of forest areas and 0.28 million ha of non-forest areas. Overlapping permits for forest management, the threat of forest fires, and the conversion of forest land into settlements continue to drive deforestation in the country.

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