Case Study on Deforestation in Indonesia

Deforestation is a serious environmental issue which is understood as the uncontrolled logging and devastation of large territories of forests on the definite territory. The problem is relevant all over the world, because forests are cut down to the various purposes: industry, agriculture, building, etc.

Indonesia suffers from this problem seriously, the situation is even more tragic, because its forests belong to the rainforest type, which is supposed to be extremely valuable for the good of the humanity. Like rainforests of Brazil Indonesian forests produce enormous quantity of oxygen and provide millions of species of animals, insects and birds with home. In the beginning of the 20th century rainforests covered more than 80% of Indonesian territory, but in 1970s the process of uncontrolled deforestation began with the development of industry and the financial growth of the country. Indonesia is the fifteenth biggest country in the world and its population is more than 200 million people and it means that the government has to provide people with food, so vast areas of rainforests are cut down for plantations and pastures for the cattle.

Unfortunately, enormous territories are used for planting tobacco and it is a bright example of case when multinational corporations do not pay attention to the environmental problems but continue making money on the human health and ecological catastrophes. Deforestation of peat swamp forests can lead to the serious problems with pure water supply, as the swamps are the best accumulators of clean drinking water. Finally, because of building and logging deforestation causes another problem – extinction of the biological species as millions of animals and birds are at the risk of extinction.