Meeting in Bali, Indonesia last week, over 900 scientists from the international Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) released a ‘Bali Declaration’ that calls for urgent efforts to slow rampant deforestation in Indonesia. “No nation on Earth is losing forest faster than Indonesia—at a rate of roughly 1.5 million hectares a year,” said Frans Bongers, President of the ATBC and professor Forestecology and Forest management at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR. “This is one of the most serious environmental threats we face anywhere.”
“The threats to biodiversity are unparalleled,” added Endang Sukara, Deputy Chair of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. “Indonesia is not only among the biologically richest nations on the planet, but we are constantly finding new species here. It’s frightening that we might lose many species before we even know they exist.” Slowing deforestation will also help to fight global warming, the scientists emphasized. “Our country is determined to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26% by 2020,” said Mochamad Indrawan of University of Indonesia. “In Indonesia, forest loss and burning is by far the biggest source of these harmful gases.”
“In framing the Bali Declaration we’ve tried to highlight the positive things happening in Indonesia today, as well as the challenges” said William Laurance, co-chair of the ATBC Conservation Committee. “Illegal logging is declining somewhat, and the government recently forged a $1 billion deal with Norway to slow deforestation. Indonesian President Yudhoyono deserves much credit for this.”
The Bali Declaration also highlights big hurdles ahead for forest conservation. Indonesia’s deal with Norway will soon result in a moratorium on new permits to clear or log native forest. “Not surprisingly, the timber and oil palm industries are not entirely happy,” said John Kress, executive director of the ATBC. “But they already have vast expanses of land to exploit under existing permits.”
In a country as large as Indonesia—which spans over 17,000 islands—many believe it will be difficult to control forest loss, which is often driven by illegal logging and land clearing. But the ATBC scientists see grounds for some optimism. “The challenges ahead are serious,” said Adi Basukriadi from the University of Indonesia. “But the government is determined to improve the situation while still developing the country economically.”
“Right now everyone is holding their breath,” concludes William Laurance. “The President of Indonesia has said, ‘OK, let’s get serious about slowing deforestation’, and he’s initiated a billion-dollar deal with Norway to help achieve this. We want to do everything we can to support him.”