World's largest deforestation: Indonesia to clear forests size of Belgium

Indonesia's planned deforestation threatens the world's third-largest rainforest, home to endangered species like orangutans, elephants, and rare giant forest flowers

Indonesia plans to clear forest land roughly the size of Belgium. Forest land of about 30,689 square km will be cleared to grow sugarcane for bioethanol, along with rice and food crops, according to a report by the Associated Press.

 

Citing environment watchdogs, the Associated Press report mentioned this as the largest planned deforestation in the world. 

 

“Imagine every piece of vegetation in that area being completely cleared ... having all the trees and the wildlife erased from the landscape and replaced with a monoculture. It’s creating a zone of death in one of the most vibrant spots on Earth,” said Glenn Horowitz, chief executive of US non-governmental organisation Mighty Earth, highlighting the severe impact this project could have on biodiversity.

 

Largest planned deforestation

 

The proposed deforestation is also significant as Indonesia has the world’s third largest rainforest. From wildlife to some rare plants, the country is home to several endangered species including orangutans, elephants and giant forest flowers. 

 

Economic gains over biodiversity?

 

For over a decade, Indonesia has been bundling the food estates. A vision outlined by the former President Joko Widodo, the country aims at improving its food security with massive plantations. 

 

However, acting along the same lines, the current President, Prabowo Subianto, has expanded such projects. These projects are focused on crops to produce bioethanol, a renewable fuel made from plants like sugarcane or corn.

 

The aim behind all these efforts is to improve the country’s energy mix and develop more renewable sources. “I am confident that within four to five years at the latest, we will achieve food self-sufficiency. We must be self-sufficient in energy and we have the capacity to achieve this,” President Subianto had said in October 2024. 

 

Indonesia’s potential to make bioethanol

 

Indonesia has significant potential to produce bioethanol given its abundance of farmland. However, it currently lacks sufficient sustainable feedstocks like sugarcane and cassava to support large-scale production. In 2007, Indonesia tried to introduce fuel mixed with bioethanol, but the project stopped a few years later due to a shortage of these crops.

 

Since then, the government has pushed forward with a major food and energy project covering 4.3 million hectares (around 10.6 million acres) on the islands of Papua and Kalimantan. Analysts say the total size of the project makes it the biggest deforestation effort happening in the world right now.

 

The biggest part of this project, called the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, will take up over 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) in Papua, according to the environmental group Mighty Earth.

 

This area overlaps with the Trans-Fly ecoregion, which is home to endangered animals, unique species found only there, and several Indigenous communities who depend on their traditional way of life.

 

Deforestation risks and replanting plans

 

Cutting down forests causes soil erosion, harms areas with lots of plant and animal life, puts animals and people who depend on the forest in danger, and makes extreme weather events worse.

 

Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Subianto’s brother and the government’s representative for energy and the environment, said the government plans to plant trees again on 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres) of damaged and cleared land.

 

“Thus, the food estate programme continues while we mitigate the possible negative impacts with new programmes, one of which is reforestation,” Djojohadikusumo said.

 

However, experts say even though replanting forests is important, it can’t replace the benefits of old natural forests. The older forests store significant carbon, help manage water systems, and are home to different species of flora and fauna.

 

[With inputs from AP]